IPL 2023: 'A couple of good knocks, the strike rate will go up' - LSG's Rahul on batting slowly in RCB success
IPL 2023: While Lucknow Super Giants pulled off a thriller against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday, former's skipper KL Rahul was conspicuous with his slow knock of 18. However, he has backed his innings and assured of playing aggressively per the situation.
FollowOn a day when Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Nicholas Pooran smashed the second-fastest Indian Premier League (IPL) half-century, his captain KL Rahul defended his inexplicable 20-ball-18, stating that he "has done the right thing". The Windies left-hand batter's 19-ball 62 -- and his 15-ball half-century -- played a pivotal role in LSG chasing down a stiff RCB's 212-run total on the last ball at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday night.
However, the innings played by Rahul -- who has often been criticised for his unflattering strike rate in Twenty20 (T20) cricket and was included in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup squad despite criticism -- stood in stark contrast to the West Indian's hell for leather effort. But Rahul, who lost his Test vice-captaincy midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series recently due to poor form, said post-match that losing wickets in a heap forced him to go slow.
CATCH ALL IPL 2023 UPDATES HERE
"If I score more runs, the strike rate will go up. I looked at the situation and felt I had done the right thing. Hopefully, with a couple of good knocks, the strike rate will go up," Rahul said following LSG's one-wicket win. In the 72 T20Is he has played, Rahul scored 2,265 runs at a strike rate of 139.12, and his overall strike rate in the shortest format is just 136.93. His strike rate is more about making it up towards the end.
Ultimately, Rahul's stay at the crease only increased the pressure on Pooran and Ayush Badoni to accelerate the run rate. Marcus Stoinis came in at No.5 and was left with little choice but to go for the big hits from the word go, smashing a 30-ball 65 to infuse some life into the innings.
Rahul, who has played most of his cricket in his formative years at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, said, "From the position we were in, we were chasing 210-plus, and we knew we had to go hard and attack. But, sometimes, when you do that, you lose wickets. Unbelievable! I mean, it's the Chinnaswamy. I've grown up here, and it's the stadium with most last-ball finishes. They [RCB] bowled well in the powerplay. They swung it well. But, the way Stoinis and Pooran played, if we have two points today, it's because of them."
Badoni chipped in with 30 off 24 balls. Rahul added, "If you look at the middle order, No. 5, 6 and 7, they win you the crunch games. The top order will get the bulk of runs, but those positions matter, and that's why we invested in power in Pooran, Stoinis and Badoni. And Badoni is learning to finish games."
