KL Rahul approached the critical powerplay phase at a snail-like pace, which came back to haunt LSG.
KL Rahul was at the receiving end of criticism around his playing approach once again in the IPL 2022 after his slow start suppressed over his late flourish and proved costly to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator on Wednesday (May 25) in Kolkata.
With his team chasing the daunting 208-run target against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Rahul made another snail-like start inside the powerplay overs, letting RCB attain a strong foot in the ascendancy, which eventually came back to haunt the Lucknow side.
Rahul scored only 26 off 17 balls in the field-restriction phase and stood at a rather questionable 37* off 32 deliveries at the end of the 10th over mark, while the asking rate kept flying high.
As he tends to do, the elegant right-hander made a notable jump in scoring and finished with 79 from 58 balls. But the ground conceded, almost deliberately, earlier in the innings by KL Rahul perhaps lost the game for LSG.
It left the player at the receiving end of another round of criticism on his approach at the crease, especially with LSG going out of the title race.
KL Rahul’s costly slow start for LSG gets fans bemused
It was another occasion where KL Rahul failed to unleash the beast inside him, allowing the game to drag along at slow pace at his end when the situation perhaps demanded him to go all guns blazing.
With LSG needing well over 10 an over after a poor bowling effort, they needed their best batter to take the game to the opposition. But Rahul stuck to his painstaking approach and showed no intent to put the pressure on RCB bowlers for the first 10 overs of the innings.
In the end, that slow start came back to haunt LSG despite chasing the score on a super flat deck, as they finished with 193/6 in response to RCB’s 207/4 in 20 overs. Despite the intimidatory nature of the target, it may have been chased had Rahul decided to bat in his naturally freeflowing avatar and not let the game slip away.
WATCH: KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya in heated debate with umpire over contentious no-ball call
Here is how the fans reacted to KL Rahul’s questionable effort:
Slow start 🐢
Build innings 🏢
Accelerate 🎯
Not finished the game 🚫
🔁 KL RRRahul🤷🤦 #LSGvRCB@klrahul #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/1eKBspETi0— AkHiLeSH RRReDdY (@akhileshreddie) May 25, 2022
KL Rahul : I have scored 600+ runs this season and I’m done. Wining and loosing is not in our hands.
Good Night 😊 https://t.co/4eIUbr49NU pic.twitter.com/NOLwrW7wCX
— Jyran (@Jyran45) May 25, 2022
Whenever he is needed as a Finisher…
*Le KL Rahul. #RCBvLSG pic.twitter.com/JX4jpWH87F— The Ⓑⓞⓝⓖ Next Door (@VotHardVotHard) May 25, 2022
KL Rahul arguably cost LSG top two against KKR. The NRR gap to RR is around 19 runs, I believe.
KL’s cost them again today. When you have resources in the bank….
From that first innings vs KKR, to going out like this, LSG have themselves to blame.
— Rahul Warrier (@rahulw_) May 25, 2022
Pray For KL Rahul . 🙏#RCBvsRR #RCBvLSG #LSGvRCB #RCB #IPL2022 Gambhir pic.twitter.com/qgsgAquUlI
— Vedant Mittal (@VED4NTM4) May 25, 2022
#HardikPandya and #KLRahul both have become what we don’t need in out Indian team. Being the Captain of a team doesn’t mean you score sluggishly with 130 SR.
No wonder why I like #samson atleast scores 40(20) unlike statpadders.#IPL2022 #IPLplayoffs #IPL #LSGvRCB #RCBvLSG— Slog Point (@slog_point) May 25, 2022
This is What happens when you Play for Personal Records.. Not Showing intent of hitting when things were in your favour then started hitting when match going far away from you.. That’s not worth it. @klrahul #IPL2022#LSGvRCB
— Meet Murdock (@MeetMurdock211) May 25, 2022
Strike rate isn’t overrated
— Flighted Leggie 🏏 (@flighted_leggie) May 25, 2022
Kl Rahul statpadding has cost the game to lsg.
— Bittu (@iamwitman) May 25, 2022
KL Rahul saved his former team today by his great knock!😂
RCB Fans, thank KL! pic.twitter.com/YL3pIOqX9m— Unique For Life▫️ (@UniqueForLife_) May 25, 2022
