Ex-Indian bowler dismisses KL Rahul for playing the slowest knock in LSG’s 213-run chase against RCB, calling it “the most terrible innings in IPL history.”
KL Rahul received harsh criticism for his strategy from former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh, who called his game “the most ugly innings played in the history of IPL.”
Despite his team’s stunning last-ball triumph on Monday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul’s painstaking 20-ball batting against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL 2023 encounter came under scrutiny. KL Rahul, the captain of the LSG, struck 18 from 20 balls with a strike rate of 90 in a T20 game where 213 was chased down. He was the only batter in the high-scoring game (with more than 10 balls) to have scored at a strike rate under 125. Rahul only managed one boundary during his time in the middle despite being batted in during the 213-run chase’s powerplay.
Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) and Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) both delivered some incredible hitting that gave LSG a chance to win the game. Rahul received harsh criticism for his strategy from former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh, who called his game “the most ugly innings played in the history of IPL.”
In attempting to outscore 213, KL Rahul failed to fire a single shot with intent. I’m unsure about his thoughts. You just can’t bat like this,” Doda wrote on Twitter.
Given the circumstances of the match, KL Rahul’s performance has to rank among the worst innings ever played in IPL history. Man. What does he think? Seriously. At this level, this cannot continue. “This isn’t school cricket,” he continued.
In attempting to outscore 213, KL Rahul failed to fire a single shot with intent. I’m unsure about his thoughts. You just can’t bat like this,” Doda wrote on Twitter.
Given the circumstances of the match, KL Rahul’s performance has to rank among the worst innings ever played in IPL history. Man. What does he think? Seriously. At this level, this cannot continue. “This isn’t school cricket,” he continued.
Rahul batted subduedly in the first six overs despite the intimidating asking rate, maybe as a result of LSG losing their in-form opener Kyle Mayers and all-arounder Krunal Pandya for ducks, as well as Deepak Hooda in between, for just nine runs.
“If I run up more runs, my strike rate will increase. I assessed the circumstances and believed I had acted appropriately. Rahul commented after LSG’s one-wicket victory, “Maybe with a few solid innings the strike rate will go up.
Rahul’s overall strike rate in the shortest format is just 136.93, and in the 72 T20Is he has played, he has scored 2,265 runs with a strike rate of 139.12. His success rate is more about recovering toward the end.
In the end, Rahul’s decision to remain at the wicket merely increased the pressure on players like Pooran and Ayush Badoni to increase the run rate. Marcus Stoinis, who entered the game at No. 5, was forced to start off by going for the big hits, hammering a 30-ball 65 to give the innings some life.
As we were chasing 210 or more runs, we knew we had to go hard and attack, according to Rahul, who spent the majority of his formative years playing cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Yet occasionally doing such results in wicket losses. It’s Chinnaswamy, after all, so unreal. I believe this stadium has the most last-ball victories because I was raised here.
“They (RCB) swung it brilliantly and bowled well during the powerplay. Yet, because to the manner Stoinis and Pooran played, we only have two points today.
Badoni contributed with 30 from 24 balls.
If you look at the middle order, particularly Nos. 5, 6, and 7, Rahul continued, “They win you the crucial games. The majority of runs will come from the top order, but it’s the places that matter, so we invested in power in Pooran, Stoinis, and Badoni. Furthermore, Badoni is learning how to win games.
