April 24 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul commended Marcus Stoinis for his exceptional match-winning knock of unbeaten 124 off 63 balls against the Chennai Super Kings, acknowledging that Chennai’s total of 210/4 was at least 30 runs above par for the Chepauk pitch conditions. Stoinis’ remarkable performance overshadowed Ruturaj Gaikwad’s elegant century as LSG secured a convincing six-wicket victory in their second encounter against CSK.
Rahul, who had once stated that strike rates are overrated in T20s, conceded that even a challenging total like 180 might not suffice in the current era of the “Impact Player” rule. This rule allows teams to substitute players mid-match, introducing added flexibility and firepower to team line-ups, ultimately impacting scoring rates and match dynamics.
“Full credit to Stoinis. It was not just power-hitting, it was very clever batting. He picked his bowlers and played very well,” Rahul said in the post-match presentation.
“We felt like we needed to be braver and capitalize the powerplay and needed 1 power-hitter in the top-3. I’ve realized that T20 cricket has changed in the past couple of years, 170-180 doesn’t always cut it. You need to go harder in the powerplay, and the impact player rule also gives you a bit more depth.”
While Rahul had an off day with the bat on Wednesday – he scored 16 off 14 deliveries – the LSG batter produced an aggressive knock against CSK in their last week’s match, where he smashed 83 off 52 deliveries. As his fellow opening partner, Quinton de Kock, struggled in the powerplay, Rahul took the onus of run-scoring, smashing at a strike rate of over 200 (31 off 15 balls) before eventually pacing his innings basis the team’s needs in a 177-run chase.
“(I) haven’t played much T20 cricket, so happy that it’s coming off. There’s no set plan, apart from the openers, everyone else is ready to go out whenever we feel it’s right. We’re going to keep it flexible,” Rahul further stated.
Rahul in IPL 2024 so far
The LSG captain crossed the 300-run mark during his innings against the CSK on Tuesday. With 302 runs in eight matches, Rahul has a strike rate of 141.42; however, he faces stiff competition from a host of players vying for spots in the T20 World Cup.
Among openers, while Rohit Sharma will take up the first spot, the second sees Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and even Virat Kohli competing alongside Rahul.