KL Rahul unbeaten 129 in Mullanpur levels him with MS Dhoni as No.5 century-maker, surpasses Yuvraj’s West Indies mark

KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 129 off 87 balls for India in the third ODI against the West Indies at Mullanpur on October 3, 2026, moving to joint second on the list of Indian No.5 century-makers. His innings propelled India to 351/7 in the match.

Rahul’s knock put him level with MS Dhoni on four centuries at the No.5 position for India, while Yuvraj Singh remains the leader with seven such hundreds. The innings also bettered Yuvraj’s previous highest ODI score by an Indian No.5 against the West Indies — 110 in Colombo in 2005 — and was composed of 10 fours and two sixes as recorded in the game summary. He came in during the middle overs, initially playing an anchoring role by rotating the strike and taking advantage when bowlers erred.

Rahul reached his half-century in 41 balls before dramatically accelerating, taking just 39 deliveries to move from 50 to 100. After the fifty, he attacked short balls with powerful pulls and found boundaries through well-timed drives, increasing the tempo markedly as the innings progressed. That acceleration carried India through the final overs as Rahul sought and punished loose deliveries.

The innings included several notable strikes: a 78m six off Matthew Forde and an assertive straight drive against Jayden Seales that underlined his control. He also launched an 84m six over deep mid-wicket off Alzarri Joseph and then brought up his ninth ODI century with a maximum off Seales. Rahul again cleared the ropes off Seales later in the innings.

Partners Naman Dhir and Gurnoor Brar provided support as India upped the run-rate, and Rahul exploited gaps while continuing to punish loose bowling. He registered back-to-back fours off Vitel Lawes before moving into the final assault, maintaining a mix of placement and aggression in the closing stages.

In the last over bowled by Keemo Paul, Rahul struck two sixes and a four and also executed a reverse scoop for two. Those strikes contributed to the late flurry that took India to a total of 351/7.

Rahul’s unbeaten 129 was recorded as his ninth ODI century and was central to India finishing the innings on 351/7 in the third ODI against the West Indies on October 3, 2026.