IPL 2023: LSG skipper KL Rahul gives BIZARRE logic to defend his strike-rate during 20-ball 18 vs RCB

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul breathed a sigh of relief after his team won a nail-biter on the last ball of the match by one wicket against RCB. While Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) and Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) starred with the bat for LSG, skipper KL Rahul scored snail-paced 20-ball 18.

Defending his innings at the post-match presentation, KL Rahul said, "I want to score more runs and I think I score more runs, the strike rate goes up. We have played a couple of games in tough wickets in Lucknow. Today we lost 3 wickets so I look at the situation and I felt like I did the right thing and if I could have carried on and stayed there till the end and stayed with Nicky, could've won the game a lot easier. Once I get some good knocks under my belt I'll start feeling good and that will go up."

Rahul's logic behind his inning is debatable. With LSG three down for 23 after four overs, Marcus Stoinis joined KL, 8 off 9 at that time, on the crease. The duo went on to add 76 runs in the next 6.4 overs or 40 balls. Stoinis played 30 of them and went on to score precious 65 runs in the partnership and Rahul in that time reached to 18 off 19 balls - thus scoring 10 off 10.

While one may agree that there was no need to be aggressive with Stoinis on the charge, Rahul's 10 off 10 were clearly out of context regarding the game situation and it may have put undue pressure on Stoinis, resulting in him taking extra risk, eventually leading to a wicket for RCB.

Also, even as Stoinis departed, Pooran came and smoked his second ball to a six, showing how easy the Chinnaswamy wicket was. In the next over, Rahul got out on the first ball, trying to flick Siraj.Rahul definitely should have taken more risks because the situation was bot that bat while Stoinis was batting to take the advantage pressure he was putting on RCB bowlers.

Thanks to Pooran, Badoni and tail-enders, LSG won the match but KL Rahul surely needs to step up his game if he doesn't want to be a weak-link in the form of a captain in a line-up which could go all the way and win the trophy in its second season only.

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