Ambati Rayudu suggests surprising change in LSG skipper KL Rahul’s batting position ahead of T20 World Cup, says ‘he should be batting…’

Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu reckoned that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul should bat at no.3 or no.4 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 if he aims to boost his chances of being selected for the T20 World Cup 2024 squad. However, Rahul currently opens the batting for LSG. 

He has not played for India since the semi-final defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup against England at the Adelaide Oval on November 10, 2022. Ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, the Indian team decided to recall Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and left Rahul on the sidelines.

KL Rahul should be batting at No. 3 or No. 4: Ambati Rayudu

"KL Rahul still has to get back to form. I think he is going to return to form, soon. I think he should be batting at No. 3 or No. 4 if he has to stay in the reckoning for the Indian team because there are already too many openers who are contending for the spot. And it will be good for LSG if he can come in the middle-overs and stay till the end. That's what the Indian team needs as well," said Ambati Rayudu on Star Sports.

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LSG clinched victory against Gujarat Titans (GT) by 33 runs, with Yash Thakur shining with a remarkable five-wicket haul. Notably, this was Lucknow’s first win against GT in IPL 2024. GT were bowled out for 130 and suffered a massive defeat while chasing a target of 163. But, Rahul's batting struggles in the current IPL season continued as he scored 33 runs off 31 balls with a strike rate of 106.45 during the clash on April 7. 

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KL Rahul faces criticism for poor strike rate

31-year-old Rahul's overall performance in IPL 2024 has been disappointing as he racked up only 126 runs in four matches with a strike rate of 128.57. Despite LSG winning three out of four matches, Rahul's performance has drawn attention due to his below-par strike rate. He has scored 4289 runs so far in the IPL at 134.24.

After winning the match against GT, LSG ascended to the third position in the points table with six points to their name after losing just one match in the ongoing league. 

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