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Lucknow Super Giants Captain K L Rahul smashed a brilliant ton against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday.
He opened the innings with Quinton de Kock and smashed 52 runs in just 5.3 overs. Despite losing wickets at the other end, Rahul -- who turns 30 on Monday -- kept smashing the ball. He batted through the innings scoring an unbeaten 103 off 60 deliveries.
With this knock that came in his 100th IPL game, Rahul also completed the milestone of 3,500 IPL runs. It is his second IPL century while leading a side. He is now the second player after Virat Kohli to have more than one ton as a captain.
After completing the century, Rahul did his peculiar 'fingers in ears' celebration, closing his eyes and blocking his ears.
During the ODI series against England in Pune last year, after he scored a ton, Rahul had done likewise, and explained, 'It (the celebration) is just to shut out the noise, not to disrespect anyone. There are people out there who try to pull you down, at times you need to neglect them. So that's just a message to shut out that noise.'
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar was almost apoplectic at Rahul's shut the noise out celebration at the Brabourne stadium on Saturday. 'You do that when you get out for a duck or 1 or 2, not when you score a 100. You should listen to the applause from the crowd,' Gavaskar felt.
Rahul, in fact, got out on a golden duck in the last LSG game against the Rajasthan Royals, done in by a Trent Boult zinger which he said later he did not see coming.