After the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the country witnessed a sight that was never seen on a cricket field. Alright, not the cricket field but the player’s change room. It was the most ungainly sight, one no sportsperson will have to undergo. It was disturbing to state the least which amply summed up the season for the Lucknow Supergiants. They were never in the race for the title. There were far more problems for Rahul and the team to manage. Rahul once again showed that he is neither a solid opener in white-ball cricket nor is a good captain. Overall, it will be fair to conclude that Rahul’s team came a cropper. He scored more than 500 runs which may look solid but they came at a strike rate of just over 135. In this day and age, for an opener to score that slowly, is simply out of place.
KL Rahul, the catptain of Lucknow Supergiants, stood transfixed without uttering a word against the owner of the franchise. For about 2-3 minutes Sanjiv Goenka, let it rip into Rahul. Rahul made a feeble attempt to argue but gave up immediately. This exchange took place immediately after the humiliating loss against Hyderabad who chased a score of 166 in just 9.2 overs.
The downside to being a mercenary
Any owner is bound to get angry at the sight of his team being walloped but what transpired was something new in cricket. One felt sorry for Rahul but when you turn yourself into a mercenary, these things must be expected.
In the corporate world, after a poor performance, someone will be losing their job. So for Rahul to go through the ordeal that he did, could be expected. There are thoughts that this could have been done indoors rather than in the full glare of the public. The counter to that is that they players are owned by their respective franchise and as such, they do not have much say. Afterall, they are paid quite highly.
Rahul’s strike rate
I have often said this. Rahul as an opener is not good enough in any format. Leave alone T20. He takes far too many deliveries to get himself set and by that time, the game is more or less over. He is a total misfit in the shortest form of the game. I have often argued against him being part of Test team or T20 team. His most suited format is ODI and that too in the middle order with about 10-12 overs left. That is when he can unleash the power player in him. While opening, Rahul is like a chicken with its head between its legs. He simply does not have a clue how to construct an innings.
He has proven this time and time again. In one of the game, he scored 29 of 33 deliveries. The strike rate was less than 100. It is unimaginable. With the boundaries being so near, with the pitches being flat and with the over restrictions, it is a crime to average less than 100. The Indian selectors for their part, did a good job of not going by any reputation and leaving him out of the World Cup. There is a speculation that with the retirement of Karthik, Rahul being a local player who can keep, he may be drafted by RCB. If it happens, RCB will be further handicapped.
Padikkal’s trade was a flop
Padikkal, the bright young prospect was traded from Rajasthan Royals in the hope that there will be another left-hander in the top order. Padikkal, it must be remembered that had a fabulous season for RCB 3 years ago. For some reason, RCB chose to release him but that is a different story. He however, did not get going with 5 successive games. The gamble did not pay off. Padikkal is a good batsman and it will be worthwhile to continue with him.
Mark Wood and David Willey pulling off
No team will be able to perform at their best if the bowlers they intend to attack with pulls out on the eve of the tournament. It happened for Lucknow when both Mark Wood and David Willey pulled out of the tournament. Wood’s pace would have most certainly provided a cutting edge in some of the games. His loss was severe to overcome at the last minute. Moshin Khan and Naveen tried their best but they were inadequate. Neither of them have the pace to trouble the opposition.
However, the franchise unearthed a rare gem in the form of Mayank Yadav. Blistering pace combined with accuracy proved to be the undoing of many teams but he is so injury prone that even with that pace and accuracy, it will still be a gamble to pick him in any squad. It must be noted that Lucknow did not lose any game that Yadav was part of. The franchise certainly missed him immensely.
Wrapping up Rahul’s team came a cropper
On the whole, it was a mixed season for Lucknow. I will go afar as to say that it is their captain, Rahul, that is their major problem. Unless he realises that his job is to bat aggressively at the top of the order, he will continue to deceive. On the otherhand, after two successive playoffs, Lucknow came unstuck in this tournament. They are a team that is only 3 seasons old. Now with the perceived move of Rahul to RCB, they will do well in invest in a top order hitter in the mould of a Head or Abhishek Sharma who is not afraid to hit the ball out of the ground.
The owner, Sanjiv Goenka, will probably want to keep matters within the dressing room to avoid public scrutiny. I am not for a moment faulting him for his outburst at Rahul because he has paid crores of Rupees and is bound to be frustrated. He must invest in batsmen who are not afraid to play shots. Let’s see what 2025 holds for the team.
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https://icricketcritique.com/lucknow-supergiants-ipl-2023-review/