"He's a car with gears.. even has sixth gear": Irfan Pathan lavish praise on India star

With another edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) drawing closer, teams have begun their penultimate preparation. IPL's latest entrants, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who were inducted into the league in 2022 are already looking busy in the pre-season. 

Earlier today, the LSG franchise announced the signing of Windies pace sensation Shamar Josesph as a replacement for Mark Wood in the new season. While the team has shaped up nicely, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan suggested a small tweak in the lineup which would make them a formidable side in their bid to lift the maiden IPL title. 

Irfan Pathan reckons LSG's star batter and skipper KL Rahul batting down the order in IPL 2024 might help both the team and his cause. Rahul could play only nine games in the last edition of the Indian Premier League due to a thigh injury sustained while fielding.

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Irfan Pathan lavish praise on India star

The LSG skipper however will likely not open this season, aiming to showcase his capabilities as a middle-order wicketkeeper-batter to stake his claim in the Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"He is a car with gears in an era of automatic cars. He can bat in any gear from first to fifth. He even has a sixth gear. So considering that, KL Rahul batting down the order might not be bad at all."

According to the former India all-rounder, if Rahul takes on a middle-order batting role, Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers could potentially open for the Lucknow-based franchise.

"It could be good for the team and him as well. The team combination could include both Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers in such a scenario. If both of them get a place, they can go with an all-Indian pace attack," Pathan added.

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