On Wednesday against Kolkata Knight Riders, KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 68 and went on to become the first Indian player to cross the 500-run mark for the fifth successive IPL season. When it comes to consistency, Rahul has been way ahead of other batters in the tournament, but his strike rate has always divided opinions.
This season he has been averaging over 48 at a strike rate of 135, which is quite good for most of the players. But Rahul himself has raised the expectations with his past performances, as he has repeatedly shown the ability to shift through the gears seamlessly in the early overs.
But there has been a sudden change in his approach ever since 2018. He now chooses to hold himself and go berserk only in death overs, which many fans believe is not the right approach in the shortest format of the game.
Yesterday, on a flat and insipid pitch, Rahul stayed on until the end but could only manage seven boundaries in 51 balls. The LSG skipper was unable to capitalise on the field restriction, scoring just 18 out of as many balls in the Powerplay. In the ongoing season, Rahul’s 177 runs in Powerplay has come at a strike-rate of 98.88, which is among the lowest in the league.
Even in the death overs, KL Rahul was unable to break free, and he was bailed out by a magnificent century from Quinton de Kock. De Kock started cautiously but he finished on an explosive note, scoring three consecutive sixes off Tim Southee in the 19th over and four successive fours off Andre Russell in the last over. He finished the inning on 140, which came in just 70 balls, with the help of 10 fours and as many sixes.
If not for De Kock’s knock, Lucknow would have lost the game. With 21 needed off the last over, Marcus Stoinis conceded 18 off the final over before turning the match on its head by claiming two wickets on the last two balls.
Here are some reactions on KL Rahul’s knock:
Featured Image Source: Lucknow Super Giants
