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The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were comprehensively beaten by the table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match on April 27 (Saturday). Despite putting a daunting score of 196 runs on the board, the LSG failed to defend their total as the Royals chased the target with an over to spare on the back of stylish half-centuries from Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel. As a result, the Super Giants lost their fourth match of the season after having played nine games.
KL Rahul's captaincy decisions on the evening were a little surprising, particularly with the introduction of Amit Mishra as the 'Impact Sub'. Veteran leg-spinner Mishra got a run in before Ravi Bishnoi who was in the playing XI and came to bowl in the 16th over.
After the game, Rahul admitted that he couldn't find the right time to introduce Bishnoi while match-ups also played a significant part in his decision-making.
"There is a bit of chat before the game with the numbers and how opposition players match-up. Mishra is an experienced player and today was a day we knew he could be useful with how slow he bowls and with the larger boundaries. Once the runs kept flowing, they put pressure on our bowlers," Rahul told the broadcasters after the game, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"There were 2-3 overs when Krunal bowled really well and squeezed them but then they attacked the fast bowlers. I couldn’t get a good time to get Bishnoi, wanted to keep him for the backend when Rovman and Hetmyer came out to bat because we know he can bowl well to them," he added.
Rahul rues poor end to LSG's innings with the bat
At one stage when Rahul and Deepak Hooda were scoring runs freely and finding the boundaries with ease, it seemed like the Super Giants would post a total of over 220 runs. However, some brilliant bowling in the death overs from the Royals prevented the Super Giants from crossing even the 200-run mark.
Rahul admitted that his team left 20 runs on the table which ultimately made the difference in the game.
"I think we left about 20 runs behind. We didn’t get an ideal start but with the partnership me and Hooda had was great. In these sorts of games, the set batter had to score close to a hundred after getting to 50-60. I think we were 150 after about 15 overs, should have capitalised on it a bit more," said Rahul.
"I think it is clear the team with more sixes ends up winning. We do try to hit our sixes but today we had to change our approach after those two early wicket. If Hooda pushed on and scored 20 more, and I got 20 more then we’d finish around 220. That would have been the difference, that’s the 20 runs we left behind. We’re seeing with every game how important it is to give the bowlers that extra cushion because they are under the pump," the LSG skipper added.
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