KL Rahul, speaking at post-match after Lucknow Super Giants’ loss to Kolkata Knight Riders by 98 runs, highlighted the impact of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt’s blistering knocks. KL Rahul pointed out that the inexperienced bowling attack crumbled under the pressure exerted by the dynamic duo’s performances.
KL Rahul is renowned for his elegant strokeplay and consistent run-scoring across all formats. The right-handed batsman, also a capable wicket-keeper, boasts an impressive international career with over 5,000 runs. KL Rahul’s rise began in the domestic circuit, showcasing his talent early on. KL Rahul transitioned seamlessly into the Indian Premier League (IPL) and even bagged the prestigious Orange Cap in IPL 2020 for scoring the most runs in the tournament. KL Rahul captains the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
The Lucknow Super Giants, a new IPL franchise led by KL Rahul, have shown promise in their debut season. Their strong batting, featuring the likes of de Kock and Stoinis, has been a highlight. However, bowling inconsistencies and struggles in close finishes have marred their performance. Lucknow Super Giants are in the playoff mix alongside Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, all with 12 points. The race for the final playoff spots is tight, with Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans battling it out. Mumbai Indians sit at the bottom of the table, needing a significant turnaround to reach the playoffs.
LSG vs KKR
In a one-sided affair last night, the Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed the Lucknow Super Giants by a massive 98 runs. KKR posted a strong total of 235 runs on the board, with Sunil Narine starring with a brilliant 81 runs. LSG’s batting faltered, offered some resistance with a brisk 38, but the lack of partnerships proved costly for LSG. KKR’s bowlers, led by the experienced Piyush Chawla and the fiery Varun Chakaravarthy, exploited the fragile LSG batting line-up, restricting them to a meagre 137 runs.
Impact On The Standings
The convincing win propelled KKR to the top of the IPL 2024 points table, thanks to their superior net run rate compared to Rajasthan Royals who also have 16 points. LSG, on the other hand, remains in fifth place with 12 points, but their inconsistent form raises concerns about their playoff chances.
What KL Rahul Said
Following Lucknow Super Giants’ defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders by 98 runs, KL Rahul reflected on the match, emphasising the daunting challenge posed by Sunil Narine and Phil Salt’s explosive batting displays. KL Rahul noted that the inexperienced bowling unit struggled to contain the relentless onslaught from the opposition’s dynamic duo.
KL Rahul, the captain, expressed clear dissatisfaction with his team’s performance, offering blunt criticism during the post-match analysis. He didn’t mince words in assessing the disappointing display from his side.
“It was a lot of runs to be scored in the second innings. When you are chasing a big total, you are trying to go too hard and you end up losing wickets. Just a poor performance overall,” said the Lucknow skipper at the post-match presentation.
“We didn’t hit our lengths consistently, just a poor performance overall with bat, ball and in the field,” he said.
Bowling Department
Nevertheless, the skipper acknowledged the challenge faced by their relatively young pace bowling department, particularly in dealing with the formidable performances of KKR’s opening duo.
“Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, in the powerplay, we’ve seen how they bat and they do put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Our young bowlers couldn’t handle that kind of pressure and he hit some really good shots. That’s how IPL is, you come up against really good players and that’s when your character is tested. We weren’t up to the mark,” said KL Rahul.
Conditions In Lucknow
Commenting on the conditions in Lucknow, the skipper noted that the wicket wasn’t as unfavorable as reflected in their second-inning performance. However, conceding extra runs increased pressure on the batters, ultimately contributing to a lackluster showing across all departments.
He added, “The wicket was really good, felt like a pretty true wicket, there was a bit of bounce if you bowled hard lengths and back of a length, but nothing out of the ordinary and it didn’t seem like a really bad pitch. 235 was probably 20 or 30 runs above par and our batting performance was really poor,” said the LSG captain reacting to the conditions that were on offer.
The defeat wasn’t attributed to insufficient preparation but rather to the execution of pre-game strategies, resulting in the home side conceding over 200 runs for the first time at this venue.
Rahul continued, “We prepare well in advance and talk about the opposition batters, we know our conditions here and we do spend a little bit of time talking to the bowlers and talking to the batters trying to see what kind of plans we need to come up with”.
“Once we come here, it’s about execution and we went wrong in that part. Bowlers tried their best but the young group really … the sooner you learn, the better it is for the team,”
The Pressure Factor
Rahul believes that errors against the explosive opening duo of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt intensified the pressure on the bowlers, ultimately leading to their collapse under the strain.
“We’ve made a couple of mistakes when we’ve come up against batters like Sunil and anyone powerful. That type of intimidation puts pressure on our bowlers,” said the opening batter.
Moving Ahead
KL Rahul is determined to return to the dressing room, leaving this loss behind, and shift focus towards preparing for their upcoming fixtures, all of which will be away games. He aims to secure victories in their remaining matches of the 2024 season.
He concluded by saying,
“That’ll be the chat once we get back to the dressing room – move on from this game, see where we went wrong and try and get better. This is our last home game for us, so we are on the road for the next three games. It’s pretty clear for us, if you want to get to the top four, you have to win all the games. That will give us a little bit of freedom to go out there and be a little bit more fearless, a little bit brave to take on the game,”