The troika of skipper KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and Avesh Khan put up a show to help Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 12-run in their IPL match on Monday (April 4).
Firstly, Rahul (68 off 50) and Deepak Hooda (51 off 33) struck useful half-centuries and lifted LSG to 169 for seven after a disastrous start and then Avesh Khan returned with 4/24 as LSG clinched a 12-run victory over SRH.
Captain Rahul was pretty pleased after his side's supershow. He said that as a side LSG have been brilliant in all three games and that's something they need to carry ahead.
"What's been pleasing is that we have always found a way to stay in the game and give ourselves a chance to win, we did that again today. Not ideal to lose three wickets in the first four overs, it's not something that'll bring us down. that's something we need to learn as a batting group how we can play risk-free cricket. With the ball, we have been brilliant in all three games and that's something we need to carry ahead. You don't chat so much in the middle," Rahul said.
"You don't want to plan too much as openers. If the wicket is good, both of us go. We have the extra batter with Jason coming in, the plan is put the pressure on the opposition. That's the body language we want to carry, go out there and look to hit boundaries and sixes. If we end up losing a couple of wickets, we need to assess the conditions quickly. Quinton and Lewis, it didn't matter if an offie was bowling, they wanted to put pressure on him, didn't come off the this game but that's something to learn,"
Asked to bat first, skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda struck useful half-centuries to lift Lucknow Super Giants to 169 for seven after a disastrous start.
Chasing 170, Kane Williamson's (16) innovation brought him two fours and a six but he paid the price for going overboard, his ramp shot off Avesh finding a sliding Andrew Tye at short fine leg in the fourth over with SRH score reading 25 for one.
Avesh brought about Abhishek Sharma's downfall with a change in pace as the batter failed to read it while trying to loft him.
As Sharma made his way back to the dugout, last-game's half centurion Aiden Markram walked out to join Rahul Tripathi in the middle, and the two began rebuilding the SRH innings.
Rahul was full of praise for Deepak Hooda as he said that he is please with the way 26-year-old batted.
"I have been playing with him (Hooda) for the last 3-4 seasons and we talk a lot. He loves batting in the nets and never comes out. He's keen to learn, he had to wait for chances and he's using them. He's become somebody whom we can rely on in the middle-order. He soaked in the pressure today and took on the bowling. Really pleased with the way he's batting. Hopefully he can grow and get better," Rahul signed off.
Placed at 51 for two at the end of the seventh over, Tripathi used Tye's pace to hit the Australian bowler for three fours and then, using his wrists, smashed Krunal Pandya (2/27) for a six over fine leg. A quite 10th over was, however, followed by the dismissal of Markram, the bowler being Krunal.
Going strong at 44 off 30 balls, Tripathi tried to slog sweep Krunal and hit straight to deep mid-wicket, where Ravi Bishnoi was stationed. Nicholas Pooran smashed Krunal over long-on for six and then carted Jason Holder (3/34) for 15 runs to bring the equation down to 50 form the last 30 balls.
Andrew Tye kept it fairly tight in the 17th over, giving not more than eight runs, before Pooran hoicked Avesh Khan over deep square leg for a maximum.
However, Avesh had the last laugh as Pooran mistimed his knee-high full toss.
