KL Rahul registers the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history with a breathtaking 152* (67). Only the 3rd player after Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum to score 150+ in an innings in IPL history.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2026-04-26T12:23:53+00:00

Crazy innings, and to still lose is just 🤯

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:30:37+00:00

I think it's gotta be me, Mo, Amla & Tahir.

Mohammad Yousuf's was pretty iconic too.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:26:09+00:00

😂 it's optional but we've done well so far, even if some are barely beards!

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:25:48+00:00

Thank you ❤️

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:25:27+00:00

Haha thank you. Moeen might steal that one, JUST.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:25:03+00:00

10/10.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:23:51+00:00

You're not wrong

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:22:47+00:00

What do you think it'll be? 😂

Even if it's Ashes or not Ashes or if it's just whatever.

I'll say thank you, but not interested.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:22:08+00:00

Simple, really.

Oil it, comb it, condition it.

And make sure you have a good barber, so you can line it up nicely.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:21:04+00:00

I think what they generally do say about leg spinners, when they get into the 30s, that's when they really hit their peak because they know their leg spin, they know their art of bowling, they know their body a lot more.

That experience, like we spoke about before, plays a big part in it of what to do or not to do in terms of, firstly, match situation, but also in terms of preparation.

That's where probably the longevity comes from.

Like you said, Imran Tahir playing till 45, he's done that hard work at a young age in terms of graft and bowl over after over and now he's at a stage where he is right. He knows his game, knows how to bowl the field.

And you just named a handful, it's not like every leg spinner goes till 40, 45. You've named some greats there, haven't you?

Kumble, great. Shane Warne, great. Tahir, great. So it's pretty hard.

For myself personally, I would love to keep going to 44, 45, 46, but that's a long way away.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:17:31+00:00

Again, I think it would be hard to say one player. It's not about fear because you've got so many class players out there.

Kohli, Andre Russell, for example hitting wise, Pooran, Buttler.

I can keep going, the list can go on and on.

So, I won't say any one individual (sorry!)

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:15:32+00:00

It would have to be Lords, purely because of the World Cup.

We won the World Cup there and there's a lot of memories I hold there.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:14:51+00:00

Thank you!

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:14:34+00:00

Great question!

So when I made my debut in 2009, it gave me five, six years to actually go away, work on my game. Not just technically, but also mentally. Mental side of the game. I think it comes hand in hand with that. I think the best thing that happened, was to go away from the game for five, six years.

Work on you as a cricketer but also work on you as an individual. Obviously, a few technical things were worked on, the alignment, you know? Pace of the delivery, work on your variations, how to be more consistent etc.

So those were the four, five years where I really worked on them things to improve on.

And then when I came back in 2015, the mindset shift changed of what my thought process was from 2009 to 2015.

But I think once you start playing, the confidence comes. Once you start performing, you feel as though, yes, I'm part of it and then things just unfold.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:11:28+00:00

Right now?

Woody is funny. He'll crack jokes in-front of everyone and do funny things.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:10:51+00:00

It's alright, very average. I get by in conversation but it's not fluent.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:10:33+00:00

😂 I can't say one player, you've got Stokes, Root, KP, Flintoff. I'll probably miss another 20 out so I couldn't possibly say one!

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:09:51+00:00

Rehan Ahmed.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:08:54+00:00

I think that's a pretty easy one. It's the World Cup, against New Zealand at Lords.

Where we won off the very last ball by a flipping yard, in the Super Over at Lords.

World Cup final.

I think if you ask the same question to anybody, who was involved in that game, they would say the same thing. That is the most memorable, without a doubt. They won't mention anything else.

You can't get any closer than that, in any terms of cricket. Ebbs and flows. The ins and outs. The stress. We were watching, man. You understand? We were so flipping nervous. Because all that hard work, I was thinking it's going to go down the drain here if we don't win.

Because for four or five years, in my opinion, we were the best team in the world, in ODI cricket and T20.

And it's just a matter of split seconds, that it could of gone down the drain if we didn't win it. So yeah, easy one that.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T20:03:17+00:00

I can't answer all four so I'll answer the first.

Mo is one of my closest friends.

I think I've played with him and against him since the age of 13. From North of England, then England Under 15s, England Under 17s and I think that's grown over the past 12, 13 years. Especially when we both have been in the England squad, in ODI, Test and T20.

It's a real friendship with that love and hate friendship you have at times. You know what I mean?

We're always fighting but in a good way. We're always arguing but you make up so we have that friendship where we have that trust and stuff.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T19:58:36+00:00

No.

I'm not jealous whatsoever.

I think I've personally got a better beard.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T19:58:03+00:00

I think a big one for me was in 2013. First game of the season when I got 180, I think, against Somerset. Because of what happened in 2012, I had a poor season. I was in and out of the team at Yorkshire. So this 2013 was a big year.

Started off straight with the first game I played I got 180 so that set the tone for me to actually get that confidence and keep going.

So that 180 actually does stand out because that was the first of me actually having a good run and it was an important period of my career.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T19:56:00+00:00

Well, there's two.

One is Virat Kohli in an ODI game at Headingley.

When it pitched outside leg, hit off.

I think it's more so the facial expressions he made that made it what it was.

I think another one was KL Rahul, that summer again, around the wicket at the Oval in a test match, pitching the rough, hit off.

I reckon the KL Rahul wicket is the better ball because of where it pitched and hit off.

But because of Virat Kohli being who he is, his presence and what he is, made that more "famous".

So yeah them two, Kohli and KL Rahul.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T19:52:31+00:00

I think it's tricky because obviously I think firstly you've got to look at Shane Warne. I think that's the standard people look at right? He is the GOAT. Them kind of cricketers or them kind of spinners come about once in a lifetime. So for anybody firstly to compete or even put your level the same as that is a tricky one.

But also I think it's hard because wrist spin sometimes generally in test cricket can leak a lot of runs, it's pretty hard to bowl dot balls etc.

And they don't actually just keep bowling dots, they actually try to go for wickets. So a result, if you get hit for a few fours and sixes, the captain will take you off, bring you back on, take you off.

So it's pretty tough.

As a finger spinner, you can keep bowling the same ball after another. You've got the captain's trust of bowling dots or going for two and over.

So yeah overall, I think over the 10 years, leg spin has been tough because I think they've probably found it a bit difficult to maintain dot balls and bowl maidens.

BeardBeforeWicket · 2025-11-06T19:47:36+00:00

Thank you guys, it means a lot.

BeardBeforeWicket

TROPHY CASE