IPL 2025: KL Rahul is a lot better player than people give him credit for, feels Moody

Despite Delhi getting off to a sluggish start - managing only 28 for 1 in the first five overs - Rahul's brilliance nearly took them to the 200-run mark. However, his efforts fell short as Sai Sudharsan (108 not out) and Shubman Gill (93 not out) comfortably chased down the target, securing a playoff spot for Gujarat Titans.

Rahul brought up his century in 60 deliveries, finishing unbeaten on 112 at a strike rate of 172.30. In IPL 2025, he's been striking at 148.04, amassing 493 runs in 12 innings. This is his best strike rate since IPL 2018, when he scored 659 runs in 14 matches at a rate of 158.41.

"I always find the criticism around KL Rahul quite extraordinary. I think he's a lot better player than a lot of people give him credit for. And the way I look at this innings, I think it's an outstanding innings," Moody said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out.

"And yeah, look, it'll depend on who wins the game as to whether he's, you know, the Player of the Match or not. But the way I look at this and I look at the batting card, what's let them down and not reaching that 220 is the other batters that were in only struck at 150. On a (batting-friendly) surface, you want impact.

"When you've got someone in there that's anchoring, that's building the total, your role when you come in is to impact the game - 30 off ten balls, those types of innings, that suddenly take you to that 220. Instead of pointing the finger at the same person, I think it's the other way around," he added.

By the ten-over mark, Delhi Capitals were 81 for 1, with Rahul scoring 56 off 38 deliveries. However, between overs 15 and 18, Rahul faced just six balls, while Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs took on most of the strike. According to Moody, this shift disrupted Rahul's momentum to some extent.

"The team had the opportunity to get it to 220. The team didn't do that. This is not an individual sport. This is a team sport. And that's where the communication around who's coming in and the communication when you're out there - 'Okay, we need to target two boundaries at the beginning of this over; let's make this a big over', that type of conversation.

"To me, they just lay idle a little bit in that middle [period]. And also, we've got to recognise KL Rahul, I believe, only faced four (six) balls in a period of four overs in the middle of that. So, therefore, he lost a bit of his rhythm as well," Moody said.