Indian captain Rohit Sharma backed KL Rahul ahead of the first Test versus Bangladesh, starting on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Rahul is making a return to the Test team after an injury he suffered during the England home series&nbsp;early this year. The right-hander was in good form in 2021 but runs dried up for him from 2022 onwards. While he scored a hundred in the South Africa series, in Johannesburg, and scored a sublime 80 in the first Test versus England, in Hyderabad, he got injured (quadriceps injury) after that to be ruled out. Rohit has backed Rahul prior to the Bangladesh series opener.

Rohit said in a pre-match presser when asked about Rahul's topsy-turvy ride in Tests, "There are a handful of people in world cricket who had a smooth ride. Handful of cricketers had no issues all their life, it was all good. Everyone has an up-and-down career. The best thing to do is to understand yourself, understand expectations from yourself and what do you need to bring to table for the team. The kind of quality KL Rahul has, everybody knows about him. The message to him from our side was we want him to play all the game and bring the best out of him. It’s our duty as well to bring the best out of him."

Hitman further opined, "It’s important to give him a clear message that what he expect&nbsp;from you. He has done well since comeback – scored a hundred against South Africa. He scored an 80 in the first Test against England in Hyderabad and unfortunately got injured and didn’t play afterwards."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/no-room-for-shreyas-iyer-in-tests-bcci-official-seals-star-batters-fate-says-wont-go-to-australia-759392">No room for Shreyas Iyer in Tests: BCCI official seals star batter's fate, says 'won't go to Australia'</a>

Rohit added, "I hope he continues from where he left in Hyderabad. He’s got the game to play spin, seamers so I don’t see any reason why he can’t flourish in Test cricket. Opportunities are there. Important for him to understand how he wants to take his career forward."

Rahul has 2,863 runs in 50 Tests at an average of&nbsp;34.08, including 8 hundreds and 14 half-centuries. He will be eager to get going in whites from the series opener itself, with a hectic Test season ahead for India.&nbsp;

Indian captain Rohit Sharma backed KL Rahul ahead of the first Test versus Bangladesh, starting on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Rahul is making a return to the Test team after an injury he suffered during the England home series early this year.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma backed KL Rahul ahead of the first Test versus Bangladesh, starting on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Rahul is making a return to the Test team after an injury he suffered during the England home series early this year. The right-hander was in good form in 2021 but runs dried up for him from 2022 onwards. While he scored a hundred in the South Africa series, in Johannesburg, and scored a sublime 80 in the first Test versus England, in Hyderabad, he got injured (quadriceps injury) after that to be ruled out. Rohit has backed Rahul prior to the Bangladesh series opener. Rohit said in a pre-match presser when asked about Rahul's topsy-turvy ride in Tests, "There are a handful of people in world cricket who had a smooth ride. Handful of cricketers had no issues all their life, it was all good. Everyone has an up-and-down career. The best thing to do is to understand yourself, understand expectations from yourself and what do you need to bring to table for the team. The kind of quality KL Rahul has, everybody knows about him. The message to him from our side was we want him to play all the game and bring the best out of him. It’s our duty as well to bring the best out of him." Hitman further opined, "It’s important to give him a clear message that what he expect from you. He has done well since comeback – scored a hundred against South Africa. He scored an 80 in the first Test against England in Hyderabad and unfortunately got injured and didn’t play afterwards." Also read: No room for Shreyas Iyer in Tests: BCCI official seals star batter's fate, says 'won't go to Australia' Rohit added, "I hope he continues from where he left in Hyderabad. He’s got the game to play spin, seamers so I don’t see any reason why he can’t flourish in Test cricket. Opportunities are there. Important for him to understand how he wants to take his career forward." Rahul has 2,863 runs in 50 Tests at an average of 34.08, including 8 hundreds and 14 half-centuries. He will be eager to get going in whites from the series opener itself, with a hectic Test season ahead for India.

Don’t see any reason...: Rohit backs Rahul amid his Test struggles ahead of Bangladesh series opener

India batter KL Rahul has dropped major hints on joining his old Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The conversation happened with a fan ahead of the mega IPL auction scheduled to take place in December.

“Let’s hope so,” replied Rahul in answer to a fan's question, which was: “I am a die-hard RCB fan. I am following RCB since very long, and you playing past in RCB, and now definitely the rumours; I won’t say anything. But yeah, I am just wishing and praying that you come into RCB and rock here.”

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-v-ban-2024-selectors-to-rest-shubman-gill-for-bangladesh-t20is-ishan-kishan-in-fray-for-return-758823">IND v BAN 2024: Selectors to rest Shubman Gill for Bangladesh T20Is; Ishan Kishan in fray for return</a>

Rahul had previously played for RCB twice, in 2013 and 2016, before missing the 2017 season with an injury and playing for the Punjab Kings from 2018 to 2021.

Rahul was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 mega auction, where he has captained the side till 2024 season. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, has been criticised for his strike rate for quite some time now.

Last season, a video went viral where LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen having an animated discussions with Rahul, which suggested not all is well in Lucknow.

While the two parties involved have denied over and over that there's nothing wrong between them, the media reports doing rounds for quite some time now say differently.

A report recently claimed that Rahul is not expected to remain captain of the side but is likely to be retained ahead of the auction.

Punjab Kings could chase Rohit Sharma

Former Mumbai Indians captain and star batter Rohit Sharma could play for another franchise if MI decides against retaining him ahead of IPL 2025. With all teams involved eagerly awaiting BCCI’s decision on changes concerning auction rules, including the reintroduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card and clarity on number of retentions, one specific team – Punjab Kings, has expressed keenness in bagging Rohit’s service, provided they have the balance.

India batter KL Rahul has dropped major hints on joining his old Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The conversation happened with a fan ahead of the mega IPL auction scheduled to take place in December.

India batter KL Rahul has dropped major hints on joining his old Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The conversation happened with a fan ahead of the mega IPL auction scheduled to take place in December. “Let’s hope so,” replied Rahul in answer to a fan's question, which was: “I am a die-hard RCB fan. I am following RCB since very long, and you playing past in RCB, and now definitely the rumours; I won’t say anything. But yeah, I am just wishing and praying that you come into RCB and rock here.” Also Read: IND v BAN 2024: Selectors to rest Shubman Gill for Bangladesh T20Is; Ishan Kishan in fray for return Rahul had previously played for RCB twice, in 2013 and 2016, before missing the 2017 season with an injury and playing for the Punjab Kings from 2018 to 2021. Rahul was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 mega auction, where he has captained the side till 2024 season. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, has been criticised for his strike rate for quite some time now. Last season, a video went viral where LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen having an animated discussions with Rahul, which suggested not all is well in Lucknow. While the two parties involved have denied over and over that there's nothing wrong between them, the media reports doing rounds for quite some time now say differently. A report recently claimed that Rahul is not expected to remain captain of the side but is likely to be retained ahead of the auction. Punjab Kings could chase Rohit Sharma Former Mumbai Indians captain and star batter Rohit Sharma could play for another franchise if MI decides against retaining him ahead of IPL 2025. With all teams involved eagerly awaiting BCCI’s decision on changes concerning auction rules, including the reintroduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card and clarity on number of retentions, one specific team – Punjab Kings, has expressed keenness in bagging Rohit’s service, provided they have the balance.

'Hope so,' KL Rahul on potential comeback at RCB ahead of IPL mega auction

Former Indian opener and chief selector Kris Srikkanth 'feels bad' for Sarfaraz Khan as the right-hander is likely to lose his Test spot with the return of senior batter KL Rahul ahead of the Bangladesh home series, commencing in Chennai on Sep 19. Sarfaraz made his Test debut during the England home series and ended with 200 runs in three Tests, including three half-centuries. The dashing young batter played at No. 5, Rahul's original position, after the latter got injured during the England series opener.&nbsp;

Former BCCI chief selector Srikkanth feels Rahul will be given the nod as he is a bigger player and has proven his credentials in Tests, also while playing overseas. The veteran feels India has an eye on the upcoming Australia tour, comprising five Tests, and Rahul's away record is also good.

"Honestly, I feel bad for Sarfaraz Khan. But, this happens, at times&nbsp;in Test cricket. You would have been playing well, but when a big player returns, you will have to lose your place. Take for instance, Rishabh Pant is returning, because of which Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan are losing their places. KL Rahul is coming in," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-test-rankings-rohit-sharma-in-top-5-virat-kohli-and-yashasvi-jaiswal-move-up-before-bangladesh-series-757786">ICC Test Rankings: Rohit Sharma in top 5, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal move up before Bangladesh series</a>

"At the back of the mind, they (Indian team management) are also keeping the Australia series. New Zealand are also coming. KL Rahul has performed well overseas, in Australia he has done well," added Srikkanth.

In 50 Tests, Rahul has 2,863 runs at an average of 34.08, including 8 hundreds. In away matches, he averages a modest 31.05 but has slammed seven centuries and 5 half-centuries.

India's hectic Test season commences with the two home games versus Bangladesh, before hosting New Zealand in three Tests. From thereon, they will travel to Australia for the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, featuring five Tests.

India's squad for the Bangladesh series also sees the return of Rishabh Pant in whites post his return from a horrific car crash in late 2022. With this, he is likely to replace Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps.

India's squad for two Tests versus Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

Former Indian opener and chief selector Kris Srikkanth 'feels bad' for Sarfaraz Khan as the right-hander is likely to lose his Test spot with the return of senior batter KL Rahul ahead of the Bangladesh home series, commencing in Chennai on Sep 19.

Former Indian opener and chief selector Kris Srikkanth 'feels bad' for Sarfaraz Khan as the right-hander is likely to lose his Test spot with the return of senior batter KL Rahul ahead of the Bangladesh home series, commencing in Chennai on Sep 19. Sarfaraz made his Test debut during the England home series and ended with 200 runs in three Tests, including three half-centuries. The dashing young batter played at No. 5, Rahul's original position, after the latter got injured during the England series opener. Former BCCI chief selector Srikkanth feels Rahul will be given the nod as he is a bigger player and has proven his credentials in Tests, also while playing overseas. The veteran feels India has an eye on the upcoming Australia tour, comprising five Tests, and Rahul's away record is also good. "Honestly, I feel bad for Sarfaraz Khan. But, this happens, at times in Test cricket. You would have been playing well, but when a big player returns, you will have to lose your place. Take for instance, Rishabh Pant is returning, because of which Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan are losing their places. KL Rahul is coming in," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. Also read: ICC Test Rankings: Rohit Sharma in top 5, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal move up before Bangladesh series "At the back of the mind, they (Indian team management) are also keeping the Australia series. New Zealand are also coming. KL Rahul has performed well overseas, in Australia he has done well," added Srikkanth. In 50 Tests, Rahul has 2,863 runs at an average of 34.08, including 8 hundreds. In away matches, he averages a modest 31.05 but has slammed seven centuries and 5 half-centuries. India's hectic Test season commences with the two home games versus Bangladesh, before hosting New Zealand in three Tests. From thereon, they will travel to Australia for the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, featuring five Tests. India's squad for the Bangladesh series also sees the return of Rishabh Pant in whites post his return from a horrific car crash in late 2022. With this, he is likely to replace Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. India's squad for two Tests versus Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

He has performed well...: Kris Srikkanth on likelihood of Sarfaraz Khan losing Test spot to KL Rahul

With less than 10 days to go before the start of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the suspense surrounding the Indian team’s middle-order set-up could be lifted according to a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source. According to reports, a BCCI official late Monday (Sep 9) evening&nbsp;confirmed that KL Rahul is all set to get the nod in the Playing XI ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. The duo is battling for a spot in the middle-order as India prepare for a crunch next few months in red-ball format with the Australia tour also on the horizon.

<h2>KL Rahul to play against Bangladesh?</h2>

"For people on the outside, they don't understand how a team works and what are the systems in place. In his last three Test matches, KL scored a century in South Africa, one of the best Test knocks in recent times and 86 at Hyderabad in the last Test he played before injury," a BCCI source said as quoted by PTI.

He confirmed that Rahul will start ahead. "He was not dropped but got injured. So, he is fit and available, scored a fifty in Duleep, got match time and will start," the source added.

India are set to return to Test action after&nbsp;March when they beat England 4-1 in the five-match series. Sarfaraz who made his debut during that series was in line to start for India, however, Rahul is likely to retain the faith of the team management. He last featured for the Indian team during the Hyderabad Test against England, where the hosts lost.

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Speculations were high after the loss that Rahul had been dropped, however, the source&nbsp;added that the Lucknow Super Giants captain was injured and will be back in the Playing XI for the opening Test in Chennai.

<h2>India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series:&nbsp;</h2>

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

With less than 10 days to go before the start of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the suspense surrounding the Indian team’s middle-order set-up could be lifted according to a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source.

With less than 10 days to go before the start of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the suspense surrounding the Indian team’s middle-order set-up could be lifted according to a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source. According to reports, a BCCI official late Monday (Sep 9) evening confirmed that KL Rahul is all set to get the nod in the Playing XI ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. The duo is battling for a spot in the middle-order as India prepare for a crunch next few months in red-ball format with the Australia tour also on the horizon. KL Rahul to play against Bangladesh? "For people on the outside, they don't understand how a team works and what are the systems in place. In his last three Test matches, KL scored a century in South Africa, one of the best Test knocks in recent times and 86 at Hyderabad in the last Test he played before injury," a BCCI source said as quoted by PTI. He confirmed that Rahul will start ahead. "He was not dropped but got injured. So, he is fit and available, scored a fifty in Duleep, got match time and will start," the source added. India are set to return to Test action after March when they beat England 4-1 in the five-match series. Sarfaraz who made his debut during that series was in line to start for India, however, Rahul is likely to retain the faith of the team management. He last featured for the Indian team during the Hyderabad Test against England, where the hosts lost. ALSO READ | Pathum Nissanka stars with unbeaten ton as Sri Lanka record first Test win in England after a decade Speculations were high after the loss that Rahul had been dropped, however, the source added that the Lucknow Super Giants captain was injured and will be back in the Playing XI for the opening Test in Chennai. India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

IND vs BAN, 1st Test: KL Rahul likely to get the nod in Playing XI ahead of Sarfaraz Khan - Reports

IPL 2024 saw Hardik Pandya returning to Mumbai Indians (MI) camp and replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain. Meanwhile, there was a lot of drama in the&nbsp;Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise as well. KL Rahul had a forgettable run as a captain with LSG ending seventh and failing to make the playoffs. As a&nbsp;batter, he ended&nbsp;with a mediocre strike-rate of 136.12 despite making 520 runs. In addition, a clip went viral with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka having an animated discussion with Rahul amid LSG's struggles in the business end of this year's edition. With Rohit's removal as MI captain and Goenka-Rahul's video going viral, many thought Hitman might enter the IPL 2025 auction and LSG can aim for Rohit to succeed Rahul (with reports even claiming that they have kept aside a whopping INR 500 million, i.e. INR 50 crore,&nbsp;for the Mumbaikar). Goenka has finally reacted on this possibility.

<h2>'Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction?'</h2>

In an interaction with Sportstar,&nbsp;LSG owner Goenka reacted to a possibility of buying Rohit and said, "Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary. It all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit Sharma or not. And even if Rohit comes to auction... if you put 50 per cent of your purse on one player, how will you buy other players?&nbsp;(chuckles)"

He further opined, "Everyone wishes to have the best captain and best players. It's not about wanting. It all depends on what you have, and what is available, and what all you can do with it. Everyone franchise will have the same desire."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/fake-video-alert-clip-of-virat-kohli-scolding-shubman-gill-goes-viral-watch-754215">FAKE VIDEO ALERT! Clip of Virat Kohli SCOLDING Shubman Gill goes viral - Watch</a>

On Wednesday (Aug 28), LSG unveiled former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan as the team mentor. During the event, Goenka also brushed aside rift rumours with Rahul. "Look, I've been meeting KL regularly over last three years. I'm a little surprised this meeting got so much attention. As I've said we have not taken any call till the retention rules are out."

"But KL has been an integral and important part of the LSG family since inception. He's played a very important role. He's like family and will be family," he added.

IPL 2024 saw Hardik Pandya returning to Mumbai Indians (MI) camp and replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain. Meanwhile, there was a lot of drama in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise as well.

IPL 2024 saw Hardik Pandya returning to Mumbai Indians (MI) camp and replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain. Meanwhile, there was a lot of drama in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise as well. KL Rahul had a forgettable run as a captain with LSG ending seventh and failing to make the playoffs. As a batter, he ended with a mediocre strike-rate of 136.12 despite making 520 runs. In addition, a clip went viral with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka having an animated discussion with Rahul amid LSG's struggles in the business end of this year's edition. With Rohit's removal as MI captain and Goenka-Rahul's video going viral, many thought Hitman might enter the IPL 2025 auction and LSG can aim for Rohit to succeed Rahul (with reports even claiming that they have kept aside a whopping INR 500 million, i.e. INR 50 crore, for the Mumbaikar). Goenka has finally reacted on this possibility. 'Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction?' In an interaction with Sportstar, LSG owner Goenka reacted to a possibility of buying Rohit and said, "Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary. It all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit Sharma or not. And even if Rohit comes to auction... if you put 50 per cent of your purse on one player, how will you buy other players? (chuckles)" He further opined, "Everyone wishes to have the best captain and best players. It's not about wanting. It all depends on what you have, and what is available, and what all you can do with it. Everyone franchise will have the same desire." Also read: FAKE VIDEO ALERT! Clip of Virat Kohli SCOLDING Shubman Gill goes viral - Watch On Wednesday (Aug 28), LSG unveiled former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan as the team mentor. During the event, Goenka also brushed aside rift rumours with Rahul. "Look, I've been meeting KL regularly over last three years. I'm a little surprised this meeting got so much attention. As I've said we have not taken any call till the retention rules are out." "But KL has been an integral and important part of the LSG family since inception. He's played a very important role. He's like family and will be family," he added.

'If you put 50 per cent of your purse..', LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka on possibility of buying MI's Rohit Sharma

Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) might see a new captain in the new season. The developments were reported by news agency IANS that wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is all set to be replaced. The decision was taken at the recent meeting with CEO Sanjiv Goenka.

“The meeting was official with the CEO Sanjiv Goenka on Monday, the captaincy and retention topics were discussed. However, Rahul is unlikely to captain the side in the upcoming edition as he wants to explore himself more as a batter. Goenka has full confidence in Rahul and he will be retained as a player, but will not be seen captaining the side,” reported IANS citing sources close to the franchise.

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“We are still exploring the captaincy option but with BCCI agreeing on player retention conditions we have two players (Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Poran) in race,” he added.

There were speculations of the same ever since Goenka and Rahul were seen in an animated discussion during one of the IPL matches last season.

Rahul has been the captain of the side ever since it made its debut in IPL 2021.

The India batter is, however, often criticised for his slow strike rate during the IPL and international games and was most recently not picked of the T20 World Cup 2024 which India went on to win.

<h2>Punjab Kings could chase Rohit Sharma</h2>

Former Mumbai Indians captain and star batter Rohit Sharma could play for another franchise if MI decides against retaining him ahead of IPL 2025. With all teams involved eagerly awaiting BCCI’s decision on changes concerning auction rules, including the reintroduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card and clarity on number of retentions, one specific team – Punjab Kings, has expressed keenness in bagging Rohit’s service, provided they have the balance.

Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) might see a new captain in the new season. The developments were reported by news agency IANS that wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is all set to be replaced.

Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) might see a new captain in the new season. The developments were reported by news agency IANS that wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is all set to be replaced. The decision was taken at the recent meeting with CEO Sanjiv Goenka. “The meeting was official with the CEO Sanjiv Goenka on Monday, the captaincy and retention topics were discussed. However, Rahul is unlikely to captain the side in the upcoming edition as he wants to explore himself more as a batter. Goenka has full confidence in Rahul and he will be retained as a player, but will not be seen captaining the side,” reported IANS citing sources close to the franchise. Also Read: Duleep Trophy first round: Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik ruled out with illness, Ravindra Jadeja withdraws “We are still exploring the captaincy option but with BCCI agreeing on player retention conditions we have two players (Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Poran) in race,” he added. There were speculations of the same ever since Goenka and Rahul were seen in an animated discussion during one of the IPL matches last season. Rahul has been the captain of the side ever since it made its debut in IPL 2021. The India batter is, however, often criticised for his slow strike rate during the IPL and international games and was most recently not picked of the T20 World Cup 2024 which India went on to win. Punjab Kings could chase Rohit Sharma Former Mumbai Indians captain and star batter Rohit Sharma could play for another franchise if MI decides against retaining him ahead of IPL 2025. With all teams involved eagerly awaiting BCCI’s decision on changes concerning auction rules, including the reintroduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card and clarity on number of retentions, one specific team – Punjab Kings, has expressed keenness in bagging Rohit’s service, provided they have the balance.

KL Rahul to be replaced as Lucknow Super Giants captain - Report

Star Indian cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya appeared on a now-deleted infamous ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode that aired in 2019, which later led to their suspension from Indian Cricket over some of their remarks being deemed inappropriate and offensive by viewers. Five years later, a changed and more mature KL Rahul recalls what happened after the episode aired and how his life turned upside down.

At that time, when that episode made headlines within the Indian cricket fraternity and fans, KL and Pandya were in Australia. The controversy erupted, cutting short their stay Down Under as BCCI recalled the pair home.

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Appearing on Nikhil Kamath's YouTube podcast, featuring guests Kriti Sanon and Badshah, KL Rahul candidly discussed how that episode profoundly impacted his life. The India keeper-batter Rahul admitted that the interview left him deeply scarred and changed him as a person.

"I used to be good with trolling. I used to think I don't care. I was much younger back then. A couple of years back, I was exposed to a lot of trolling. If I sat I got trolled, if I stood I got trolled," Rahul said.&nbsp;

"The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very soft-spoken person growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people.”

"Now I don't because that interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, or punished in school. I don't know how to handle it. I did mischief in schools, but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have come," Rahul noted.

<h2>Life afterwards</h2>

Meanwhile, KL and Hardik have come a long way since that episode. While Hardik was appointed the ODI vice-captain for the 2023 World Cup, later replacing Rohit Sharma as the new captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, Rahul became the first-choice keeper-batter in the One-Day format.&nbsp;

Both played handy roles in the ODI World Cup last year, helping the hosts reach the final. Though Pandya got ruled out during the Bangladesh tie, KL Rahul was among the runs, besides getting acknowledged for his wicket-keeping.

KL and Pandya are in the fray for spots in the ODI side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Star Indian cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya appeared on a now-deleted infamous ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode that aired in 2019, which later led to their suspension from Indian Cricket over some of their remarks being deemed inappropriate and offensive by viewers.

Star Indian cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya appeared on a now-deleted infamous ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode that aired in 2019, which later led to their suspension from Indian Cricket over some of their remarks being deemed inappropriate and offensive by viewers. Five years later, a changed and more mature KL Rahul recalls what happened after the episode aired and how his life turned upside down. At that time, when that episode made headlines within the Indian cricket fraternity and fans, KL and Pandya were in Australia. The controversy erupted, cutting short their stay Down Under as BCCI recalled the pair home. ALSO READ: ENG v SL 2024: Mark Wood won't bowl on day four of Manchester Test against Sri Lanka - ECB Appearing on Nikhil Kamath's YouTube podcast, featuring guests Kriti Sanon and Badshah, KL Rahul candidly discussed how that episode profoundly impacted his life. The India keeper-batter Rahul admitted that the interview left him deeply scarred and changed him as a person. "I used to be good with trolling. I used to think I don't care. I was much younger back then. A couple of years back, I was exposed to a lot of trolling. If I sat I got trolled, if I stood I got trolled," Rahul said. "The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very soft-spoken person growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people.” "Now I don't because that interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, or punished in school. I don't know how to handle it. I did mischief in schools, but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have come," Rahul noted. Life afterwards Meanwhile, KL and Hardik have come a long way since that episode. While Hardik was appointed the ODI vice-captain for the 2023 World Cup, later replacing Rohit Sharma as the new captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, Rahul became the first-choice keeper-batter in the One-Day format. Both played handy roles in the ODI World Cup last year, helping the hosts reach the final. Though Pandya got ruled out during the Bangladesh tie, KL Rahul was among the runs, besides getting acknowledged for his wicket-keeping. KL and Pandya are in the fray for spots in the ODI side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. (With inputs from agencies)

‘That interview scarred me massively’ – KL Rahul on life after infamous ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode

From Rohit Sharma to Suresh Raina: Top 6 Indian batters with most fours in T20Is

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is chasing a few unanswered questions as the Men in Blue prepare&nbsp;for the road to the Champions Trophy with the three-match ODIs against Sri Lanka starting August 2 in Colombo. The return of Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli boosts the team’s morale, as newcomers like Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana eye debuts.

However, amidst returns and debuts, everyone seeks answers to who stands tall between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the keeper-batter in ODIs, where does Shreyas Iyer fit in the middle order, will Hardik Pandya return to the scheme of things in the One-Day format and who is India’s third-choice seamer?

<h2>The Big Question – KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant?</h2>

With Rohit, Shubman Gill and Kohli likely to be India’s top three at the Champions Trophy 2025, the question arises - who plays in the middle order? Will KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant both play? And if that happens, where does Shreyas Iyer come into the picture?

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-waiting-for-revised-retention-policies-to-decide-on-ipl-future-746271">MS Dhoni waiting for revised ‘retention policies’ to decide on IPL future</a>

KL Rahul’s return to the squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs ring warning bells for Pant, who recently won the T20 World Cup in the Americas. Although he started ahead of Sanju Samson in the 20-team tournament, Pant could have to wait for his turn in the ODIs since the selectors picked KL Rahul as an incumbent keeper-batter for the three matches.

A match-winner in the middle order and more than a tidy keeper, with his exploits in the 2023 World Cup and away South Africa ODIs enough for evidence, KL is ahead in the pecking order to keep wickets in the SL One-Dayers.

In that scenario, Pant sits out, and Shreyas Iyer makes his much-awaited return to the Indian Team since his fallout with BCCI late last year. But should Gambhir decide against continuing with KL Rahul as the first-choice keeper despite Pant being available for selection, Team India could field all three, provided Pant keeps wickets.

<h3>Who will be the all-rounder?</h3>

The selectors cleared why they dropped Hardik Pandya for the SL ODIs, with fitness being a massive concern. Although they haven’t discarded the chances for his return, the selectors want Pandya to work on his bowling fitness to work his way back into the team.

Now, since he’s absent, the newer management will look to try Riyan Parag in his place.&nbsp;

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pathirana-madushanka-ruled-out-of-india-odis-with-injuries-as-sri-lanka-run-out-of-pace-options-746198">Pathirana, Madushanka ruled out of India ODIs with injuries as Sri Lanka run out of pace options</a>

The Assam all-rounder was impressive during the SL T20Is, not entirely with the bat, but with the ball in hand, which helped him press his case for his ODI debut in Sri Lanka.

<h3>Arshdeep, Siraj or someone else as the third seamer</h3>

With the ace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami sure of playing all games, the selectors are undecided about whom to pick as the third seamer.&nbsp;

Although Mohammed Siraj leads the race on seniority, the left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh has worked hard to get into contention.

With Siraj looked upon as a better longer-format bowler, Arshdeep has excelled in T20 cricket, finishing with the most wickets for India (17) in the T20 WC.

However, outside of these two, the selectors and the team management have other options like Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan or even Harshit Rana to look at should he make his ODI debut in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the eight-team tournament will be played in the February-March window next year, with Pakistan slated to host the tournament.

(With inputs from agencies)

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is chasing a few unanswered questions as the Men in Blue prepare for the road to the Champions Trophy with the three-match ODIs against Sri Lanka starting August 2 in Colombo.

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is chasing a few unanswered questions as the Men in Blue prepare for the road to the Champions Trophy with the three-match ODIs against Sri Lanka starting August 2 in Colombo. The return of Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli boosts the team’s morale, as newcomers like Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana eye debuts. However, amidst returns and debuts, everyone seeks answers to who stands tall between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the keeper-batter in ODIs, where does Shreyas Iyer fit in the middle order, will Hardik Pandya return to the scheme of things in the One-Day format and who is India’s third-choice seamer? The Big Question – KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant? With Rohit, Shubman Gill and Kohli likely to be India’s top three at the Champions Trophy 2025, the question arises - who plays in the middle order? Will KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant both play? And if that happens, where does Shreyas Iyer come into the picture? ALSO READ: MS Dhoni waiting for revised ‘retention policies’ to decide on IPL future KL Rahul’s return to the squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs ring warning bells for Pant, who recently won the T20 World Cup in the Americas. Although he started ahead of Sanju Samson in the 20-team tournament, Pant could have to wait for his turn in the ODIs since the selectors picked KL Rahul as an incumbent keeper-batter for the three matches. A match-winner in the middle order and more than a tidy keeper, with his exploits in the 2023 World Cup and away South Africa ODIs enough for evidence, KL is ahead in the pecking order to keep wickets in the SL One-Dayers. In that scenario, Pant sits out, and Shreyas Iyer makes his much-awaited return to the Indian Team since his fallout with BCCI late last year. But should Gambhir decide against continuing with KL Rahul as the first-choice keeper despite Pant being available for selection, Team India could field all three, provided Pant keeps wickets. Who will be the all-rounder? The selectors cleared why they dropped Hardik Pandya for the SL ODIs, with fitness being a massive concern. Although they haven’t discarded the chances for his return, the selectors want Pandya to work on his bowling fitness to work his way back into the team. Now, since he’s absent, the newer management will look to try Riyan Parag in his place. READ MORE: Pathirana, Madushanka ruled out of India ODIs with injuries as Sri Lanka run out of pace options The Assam all-rounder was impressive during the SL T20Is, not entirely with the bat, but with the ball in hand, which helped him press his case for his ODI debut in Sri Lanka. Arshdeep, Siraj or someone else as the third seamer With the ace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami sure of playing all games, the selectors are undecided about whom to pick as the third seamer. Although Mohammed Siraj leads the race on seniority, the left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh has worked hard to get into contention. With Siraj looked upon as a better longer-format bowler, Arshdeep has excelled in T20 cricket, finishing with the most wickets for India (17) in the T20 WC. However, outside of these two, the selectors and the team management have other options like Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan or even Harshit Rana to look at should he make his ODI debut in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the eight-team tournament will be played in the February-March window next year, with Pakistan slated to host the tournament. (With inputs from agencies)

Gautam Gambhir chases few unanswered questions as India begin quest for Champions Trophy 2025 with SL ODIs

Delhi Capitals captain and ace keeper-batter Rishabh Pant could join MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in a trade deal ahead of IPL 2025, per the latest reports. The most capped Delhi player, Pant, could switch bases for the first time since his league debut, as franchise owners are undecided on his retention. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giant captain (LSG) KL Rahul might leave the team and rejoin Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the upcoming season.

Pant returned to on-field cricket last year for the first time since suffering multiple injuries in a horrific road accident on New Year’s Eve in 2022. After NCA cleared him to take the field, Pant returned to captain Delhi Capitals last year. Following a shallow start to the 17th edition, Pant was among the runs, finishing the tournament with 446 runs in 13 innings, averaging 40.55.

However, despite his valiant efforts as a captain and batter, he failed to guide his team to a playoff finish, as they ended up sixth on the points table, with seven wins and as many losses.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/watch-shamar-joseph-breaks-roof-tiles-at-trent-bridge-with-monster-six-as-west-indies-take-first-innings-lead-742653">WATCH: Shamar Joseph breaks roof tiles at Trent Bridge with MONSTER six as West Indies take first innings lead</a>

With head coach Ricky Ponting also departing and considering the mega auction will take place ahead of the next season, DC’s decision-makers are contemplating removing Pant from the captaincy and trading with a player at CSK.

And being unclear about MS Dhoni’s participation in the next edition, Pant’s trade to the franchise could be a win-win situation for both the team and the batter.&nbsp;

But, per a report in Dainik Jagran, Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly wishes to stick with Pant as a marquee player in the side going forward.

<h2>Rahul to lead RCB</h2>

KL Rahul has been the mainstay for LSG since the side’s debut in 2022. But after what unfolded last year following the game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), when owner Sanjeev Goenka publicly lashed out at his team’s captain, the relationship between the two turned sour.

Although Goenka did invite Rahul over dinner at his place to mend things, it seemed to have gone too far by then.

Considering the new season is approaching, Rahul is reportedly returning to RCB and replacing Faf du Plessis as the side’s new captain. With Faf unlikely to get retained or picked at the auction table, given his age,&nbsp;he remains fittest among many. Rahul’s appointment as the new captain could help the owners build a team around him, aiming for the long-eluded IPL trophy.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Delhi Capitals captain and ace keeper-batter Rishabh Pant could join MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in a trade deal ahead of IPL 2025, per the latest reports. The most capped Delhi player, Pant, could switch bases for the first time since his league debut, as franchise owners are undecided on his retention.

Delhi Capitals captain and ace keeper-batter Rishabh Pant could join MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in a trade deal ahead of IPL 2025, per the latest reports. The most capped Delhi player, Pant, could switch bases for the first time since his league debut, as franchise owners are undecided on his retention. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giant captain (LSG) KL Rahul might leave the team and rejoin Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the upcoming season. Pant returned to on-field cricket last year for the first time since suffering multiple injuries in a horrific road accident on New Year’s Eve in 2022. After NCA cleared him to take the field, Pant returned to captain Delhi Capitals last year. Following a shallow start to the 17th edition, Pant was among the runs, finishing the tournament with 446 runs in 13 innings, averaging 40.55. However, despite his valiant efforts as a captain and batter, he failed to guide his team to a playoff finish, as they ended up sixth on the points table, with seven wins and as many losses. ALSO READ: WATCH: Shamar Joseph breaks roof tiles at Trent Bridge with MONSTER six as West Indies take first innings lead With head coach Ricky Ponting also departing and considering the mega auction will take place ahead of the next season, DC’s decision-makers are contemplating removing Pant from the captaincy and trading with a player at CSK. And being unclear about MS Dhoni’s participation in the next edition, Pant’s trade to the franchise could be a win-win situation for both the team and the batter. But, per a report in Dainik Jagran, Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly wishes to stick with Pant as a marquee player in the side going forward. Rahul to lead RCB KL Rahul has been the mainstay for LSG since the side’s debut in 2022. But after what unfolded last year following the game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), when owner Sanjeev Goenka publicly lashed out at his team’s captain, the relationship between the two turned sour. Although Goenka did invite Rahul over dinner at his place to mend things, it seemed to have gone too far by then. Considering the new season is approaching, Rahul is reportedly returning to RCB and replacing Faf du Plessis as the side’s new captain. With Faf unlikely to get retained or picked at the auction table, given his age, he remains fittest among many. Rahul’s appointment as the new captain could help the owners build a team around him, aiming for the long-eluded IPL trophy. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals plots Rishabh Pant’s trade to CSK; KL Rahul to leave LSG for ex-franchise - Reports

Amit Mishra, who has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since the franchise's admission in 2022, feels the Sanjiv Goenka-owned side will look for a 'better captain' than KL Rahul for IPL 2025. Since they came into the picture, LSG have been captained by Rahul. Under Rahul, the team reached the playoffs in IPL 2022 and IPL 2023 before ending seventh in IPL 2024. During this year's edition, Lucknow were on course to reach the playoffs, however, fell flat in their last few games by big margins. After their defeat to eventual runners-up SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), in Hyderabad, LSG owner Goenka was seen having a heated discussion with Rahul. The video went viral in no time and many feel Rahul won't be part of Lucknow from the next season. Mishra, in a recent interaction, played down the Goenka-Rahul episode but feels LSG will opt for a 'better captain, who understands the pulse of T20s.

<h2>'A person with right mentality for T20s should be captain. Someone who plays for the team should be captain'</h2>

Mishra said&nbsp;during his interaction with Subhankar Mishra on his YouTube show, "It does not matter if he is in the Indian team or not. But a person who has the right mentality for T20s should be the captain. Someone who plays for the team should be the captain. I am sure LSG will look for a better captain."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-not-the-same-after-fame-and-power-rohit-sharma-unchanged-former-indian-spinners-big-claim-741292">Virat Kohli not the same after fame and power, Rohit Sharma unchanged: Former Indian spinner's BIG claim</a>

Mishra also reflected on Goenka's chat with Rahul post-LSG's ten-wicket loss to SRH in match 57 in Hyderabad. The former Indian spinner said, "Goenka was disappointed. We lost two back-to-back matches very badly. Against KKR, we lost by some 90-100 runs and against SRH, the match was finished within 10 overs. It felt like we were bowling them during a net practice session. If I am so angry about it, will someone who has actually put money into the team not feel angry?"

He added, "It was not a huge deal. But I later came to know that he said that the bowling was very bad and the team should have shown some fight. It looked like you have completely surrendered. But I feel people and media hyped it up a bit."

The chat between Rahul and Goenka made heads turn during this year's edition, won by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With a mega auction to be held later this year, Rahul might be released by LSG as the keeper-batter can opt for a new franchise.&nbsp;

Amit Mishra, who has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since the franchise's admission in 2022, feels the Sanjiv Goenka-owned side will look for a 'better captain' than KL Rahul for IPL 2025.

Amit Mishra, who has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since the franchise's admission in 2022, feels the Sanjiv Goenka-owned side will look for a 'better captain' than KL Rahul for IPL 2025. Since they came into the picture, LSG have been captained by Rahul. Under Rahul, the team reached the playoffs in IPL 2022 and IPL 2023 before ending seventh in IPL 2024. During this year's edition, Lucknow were on course to reach the playoffs, however, fell flat in their last few games by big margins. After their defeat to eventual runners-up SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), in Hyderabad, LSG owner Goenka was seen having a heated discussion with Rahul. The video went viral in no time and many feel Rahul won't be part of Lucknow from the next season. Mishra, in a recent interaction, played down the Goenka-Rahul episode but feels LSG will opt for a 'better captain, who understands the pulse of T20s. 'A person with right mentality for T20s should be captain. Someone who plays for the team should be captain' Mishra said during his interaction with Subhankar Mishra on his YouTube show, "It does not matter if he is in the Indian team or not. But a person who has the right mentality for T20s should be the captain. Someone who plays for the team should be the captain. I am sure LSG will look for a better captain." Also read: Virat Kohli not the same after fame and power, Rohit Sharma unchanged: Former Indian spinner's BIG claim Mishra also reflected on Goenka's chat with Rahul post-LSG's ten-wicket loss to SRH in match 57 in Hyderabad. The former Indian spinner said, "Goenka was disappointed. We lost two back-to-back matches very badly. Against KKR, we lost by some 90-100 runs and against SRH, the match was finished within 10 overs. It felt like we were bowling them during a net practice session. If I am so angry about it, will someone who has actually put money into the team not feel angry?" He added, "It was not a huge deal. But I later came to know that he said that the bowling was very bad and the team should have shown some fight. It looked like you have completely surrendered. But I feel people and media hyped it up a bit." The chat between Rahul and Goenka made heads turn during this year's edition, won by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With a mega auction to be held later this year, Rahul might be released by LSG as the keeper-batter can opt for a new franchise.

'Someone who plays for the team...': No KL Rahul? Mishra feels 'LSG will look for better captain' for IPL 2025

Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format, it is likely that Hardik Pandya, if not rested, will be named the captain whereas KL Rahul can lead the ODI side.

As per a report in India Today, Gambhir's first meeting with the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is scheduled for later this week. It is understood that Gambhir is keen to have two different captains for the two formats. For ODIs in the upcoming Lankan tour, Rahul is being considered to take charge. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has been consistent for India at No.5 in ODIs, has captaincy experience in the shorter format. He led India to an ODI series win in South Africa last year.

Hardik, on the other hand, is likely to lead the Indian T20I side. He has led India in T20Is during Rohit Sharma's break and served as Hitman's deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and the USA.

"It is expected that in the absence of Rohit, Hardik and KL are the options to be given the responsibility of captain. Both have captained the team earlier," a top source in BCCI told India Today.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/gambhir-backs-former-kkr-teammate-as-indias-bowling-coach-bcci-keen-to-rope-in-this-wc-winner-report-739596">Gambhir backs former KKR teammate as India's bowling coach, BCCI keen to rope in THIS WC winner: Report</a>

"If Hardik is not available for the T20Is, you might see Suryakumar Yadav as captain in T20Is and Rahul in ODIs. But for now, it seems that Hardik and KL will lead the team," the source further added.

After India's T20 WC triumph, in the recently-held 20-nation mega event, Rohit, Kohli and even Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the entire SL tour. India's tour commences on July 27 and will conclude on August 7. The trio of Rohit, Bumrah and Kohli are likely to be back before the commencement of India's home season in September.

Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation.

Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format, it is likely that Hardik Pandya, if not rested, will be named the captain whereas KL Rahul can lead the ODI side. As per a report in India Today, Gambhir's first meeting with the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is scheduled for later this week. It is understood that Gambhir is keen to have two different captains for the two formats. For ODIs in the upcoming Lankan tour, Rahul is being considered to take charge. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has been consistent for India at No.5 in ODIs, has captaincy experience in the shorter format. He led India to an ODI series win in South Africa last year. Hardik, on the other hand, is likely to lead the Indian T20I side. He has led India in T20Is during Rohit Sharma's break and served as Hitman's deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and the USA. "It is expected that in the absence of Rohit, Hardik and KL are the options to be given the responsibility of captain. Both have captained the team earlier," a top source in BCCI told India Today. Also read: Gambhir backs former KKR teammate as India's bowling coach, BCCI keen to rope in THIS WC winner: Report "If Hardik is not available for the T20Is, you might see Suryakumar Yadav as captain in T20Is and Rahul in ODIs. But for now, it seems that Hardik and KL will lead the team," the source further added. After India's T20 WC triumph, in the recently-held 20-nation mega event, Rohit, Kohli and even Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the entire SL tour. India's tour commences on July 27 and will conclude on August 7. The trio of Rohit, Bumrah and Kohli are likely to be back before the commencement of India's home season in September.

India tour of SL: KL Rahul to lead in ODIs, Hardik Pandya in T20Is as Gautam Gambhir era kicks off - Report

India batter Abhishek Sharma scored the third fastest hundred for India in T20Is off just 46 balls on Sunday (Jul 7), equalling KL Rahul's record. Abhishek reached the milestone in the second T20I of the ongoing five-match series against Zimbabwe.

The batter, who had scored a four-ball duck in the first T20I, shook the failure in style, hitting seven fours and eight sixes in his innings. He got out on the next ball after scoring 100.

The record for fastest hundred for India in T20Is is with Rohit Sharma, who hit a&nbsp;century off just 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017. The next is Suryakumar Yadav with a century off 45 balls against same opposition as Rohit in 2023.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jay-shah-confirms-rohit-sharmas-future-as-odi-test-captain-as-2025-wtc-champions-trophy-loom-738677">Jay Shah confirms Rohit Sharma’s future as ODI, Test captain as 2025 WTC, Champions Trophy loom</a>

Rahul had scored his 46-ball ton against West Indies in 2016.

The game started with India skipper Shubman Gill winning the toss and electing to bat first. India, however, again got a bad start as Gill departed in the second over of the match.

Ruturaj Gaikwad then joined Sharma on the crease and the duo added 137 runs for the second wicket. After Sharma's dismissal, Rinku Singh, who also scored a duck in the first T20I, showed his class.

Both the batters added 87 runs in the last six overs as India posted a mammoth 234/2 in 20 overs. Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 77 off 47 balls while Rinku hit 48 not out off 22 balls with the help of two hours and five sixes.

India, however, were slow in the first ten overs of the game, scoring just 74 runs. Abhishek then changed the momentum with 28 runs off 11th over bowled by Dion Myers. Abhishek hit three fours and two sixes in the over and reached his maiden fifty as well.

For Zimbabwe, Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani took one wicket each.

India batter Abhishek Sharma scored the third fastest hundred for India in T20Is off just 46 balls on Sunday (Jul 7), equalling KL Rahul's record. Abhishek reached the milestone in the second T20I of the ongoing five-match series against Zimbabwe.

India batter Abhishek Sharma scored the third fastest hundred for India in T20Is off just 46 balls on Sunday (Jul 7), equalling KL Rahul's record. Abhishek reached the milestone in the second T20I of the ongoing five-match series against Zimbabwe. The batter, who had scored a four-ball duck in the first T20I, shook the failure in style, hitting seven fours and eight sixes in his innings. He got out on the next ball after scoring 100. The record for fastest hundred for India in T20Is is with Rohit Sharma, who hit a century off just 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017. The next is Suryakumar Yadav with a century off 45 balls against same opposition as Rohit in 2023. Also Read: Jay Shah confirms Rohit Sharma’s future as ODI, Test captain as 2025 WTC, Champions Trophy loom Rahul had scored his 46-ball ton against West Indies in 2016. The game started with India skipper Shubman Gill winning the toss and electing to bat first. India, however, again got a bad start as Gill departed in the second over of the match. Ruturaj Gaikwad then joined Sharma on the crease and the duo added 137 runs for the second wicket. After Sharma's dismissal, Rinku Singh, who also scored a duck in the first T20I, showed his class. Both the batters added 87 runs in the last six overs as India posted a mammoth 234/2 in 20 overs. Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 77 off 47 balls while Rinku hit 48 not out off 22 balls with the help of two hours and five sixes. India, however, were slow in the first ten overs of the game, scoring just 74 runs. Abhishek then changed the momentum with 28 runs off 11th over bowled by Dion Myers. Abhishek hit three fours and two sixes in the over and reached his maiden fifty as well. For Zimbabwe, Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani took one wicket each.

IND vs ZIM, 2nd T20I: Abhishek Sharma hits 46-ball 100, equals KL Rahul's record

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammed Hafeez has yet again called Indian batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul 'selfish' for playing for personal milestones during the 50-over World Cup last year.&nbsp;

After Kohli smashed an unbeaten 101 in India's 243-run win over South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Hafeez&nbsp;created controversy by calling the Indian batter 'selfish'. Nearly seven months later, Hafeez has doubled down on his version.&nbsp;

"I remember in the same tournament, KL Rahul played a fantastic shot over extra cover to finish the game off (vs Australia) and he was not happy that India won the game but was unhappy because he couldn't get his own hundred,"&nbsp;said Hafeez on the Club Praire Fire Podcast with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan.

"This is a selfish approach and then the same happened when Virat Kohli did the same thing when he was more into his 100 than adding value to the team (vs South Africa)," he added.&nbsp;

Hafeez went ballistic and called out Kohli for not playing safe and consuming additional deliveries while nearing a milestone.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"After 95, if someone is taking five balls to get to his hundred and not thinking of hitting off those three&nbsp;or four&nbsp;balls, and if the intention gets changed after scoring a 100, why can't I play the same shot on 95? So in that game (South Africa), Virat took a lot of balls to get to his 100 and he was not playing big shots," Hafeez added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-is-utter-nonsense-michael-vaughan-slams-mohammad-hafeez-for-calling-virat-kohli-selfish-655978">Also read |&nbsp;'This is utter nonsense': Michael Vaughan SLAMS Mohammad Hafeez for calling Virat Kohli 'selfish'</a>

<h2>What Hafeez commented?</h2>

Kohli reached his 49th ton in the match to equal Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record. Kohli reached his hundred in 121 deliveries while smashing 10 boundaries. It was his innings that helped India post a healthy target of 327 as South Africa collapsed on a lowly total of 83.&nbsp;

Hafeez, part of a Pakistani cricket panel, analysed the innings and said he saw 'selfishness' in the Indian no. 3.&nbsp;

"I saw a sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli's batting and this happened for the third time in this World Cup. In the 49th over, he was looking to take a single to reach his own hundred and he didn't put the team first. Rohit Sharma could have played selfish cricket too, but he didn't because he is playing for Team India and not for himself."

While India reached the final of the World Cup, Pakistan crashed out of the group stage of the tournament.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammed Hafeez has yet again called Indian batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul 'selfish' for playing for personal milestones during the 50-over World Cup last year.

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammed Hafeez has yet again called Indian batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul 'selfish' for playing for personal milestones during the 50-over World Cup last year. After Kohli smashed an unbeaten 101 in India's 243-run win over South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Hafeez created controversy by calling the Indian batter 'selfish'. Nearly seven months later, Hafeez has doubled down on his version. "I remember in the same tournament, KL Rahul played a fantastic shot over extra cover to finish the game off (vs Australia) and he was not happy that India won the game but was unhappy because he couldn't get his own hundred," said Hafeez on the Club Praire Fire Podcast with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan. "This is a selfish approach and then the same happened when Virat Kohli did the same thing when he was more into his 100 than adding value to the team (vs South Africa)," he added. Hafeez went ballistic and called out Kohli for not playing safe and consuming additional deliveries while nearing a milestone. "After 95, if someone is taking five balls to get to his hundred and not thinking of hitting off those three or four balls, and if the intention gets changed after scoring a 100, why can't I play the same shot on 95? So in that game (South Africa), Virat took a lot of balls to get to his 100 and he was not playing big shots," Hafeez added. Also read | 'This is utter nonsense': Michael Vaughan SLAMS Mohammad Hafeez for calling Virat Kohli 'selfish' What Hafeez commented? Kohli reached his 49th ton in the match to equal Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record. Kohli reached his hundred in 121 deliveries while smashing 10 boundaries. It was his innings that helped India post a healthy target of 327 as South Africa collapsed on a lowly total of 83. Hafeez, part of a Pakistani cricket panel, analysed the innings and said he saw 'selfishness' in the Indian no. 3. "I saw a sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli's batting and this happened for the third time in this World Cup. In the 49th over, he was looking to take a single to reach his own hundred and he didn't put the team first. Rohit Sharma could have played selfish cricket too, but he didn't because he is playing for Team India and not for himself." While India reached the final of the World Cup, Pakistan crashed out of the group stage of the tournament. (With inputs from agencies)

Ex-Pakistan player Mohammed Hafeez calls Virat Kohli, KL Rahul 'selfish' yet again

Delhi Capitals (DC) hosted Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 64 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (May 14), at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. Opting to bowl first, KL Rahul-led LSG invited Rishabh Pant's DC to bat first. Pant &amp; Co. rode on Abhishek Porel's 58, Shai Hope's 38 (27), skipper's 23-ball 33 and Tristan Stubbs' 25-ball 57* to post 208 for 4.

In reply, LSG only managed 189 for 9 courtesy of Nicholas Pooran's entertaining 27-ball 61 and Arshad Khan's fighting 58 (33). With this defeat, LSG are very much out of contention in the playoffs race whereas DC remain alive but with a very slim chance mathematically. After the loss, Mohammed Kaif lashed out at Lucknow for their poor tactics, inviting DC to bat first at the venue.

Kaif told on Star Sports, "Take the video analyst's computer and throw it away. They didn't go with any numbers. 200 has not been chased here at all. I am telling you this year's numbers. In all four matches, the team batting first has won. You won the toss and said you would field first."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rishabh-pant-is-an-instinctive-captain-sourav-ganguly-backs-dc-star-to-get-better-with-time-721710">'Rishabh Pant is an instinctive captain': Sourav Ganguly backs DC star to get better with time</a>

The former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator further added, "The biggest mistake was the decision at the toss... So, there will be a question mark on the bowling as well. Lucknow had everything to gain from this match... I believe it was an absolute flop show from Lucknow."

In IPL history, DC have never lost while defending anything over 200. Meanwhile, no team has managed to chase down any total in excess of 200 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in this year's IPL. Hence, LSG team management certainly made a big mistake, pushing them closer to an early exit.

At present, DC are at the fifth spot with 14 points in their league games. Meanwhile, LSG are two&nbsp;spots below DC, with 12 points and a game in hand.

Delhi Capitals (DC) hosted Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 64 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (May 14), at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. Opting to bowl first, KL Rahul-led LSG invited Rishabh Pant's DC to bat first.

Delhi Capitals (DC) hosted Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 64 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (May 14), at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. Opting to bowl first, KL Rahul-led LSG invited Rishabh Pant's DC to bat first. Pant & Co. rode on Abhishek Porel's 58, Shai Hope's 38 (27), skipper's 23-ball 33 and Tristan Stubbs' 25-ball 57* to post 208 for 4. In reply, LSG only managed 189 for 9 courtesy of Nicholas Pooran's entertaining 27-ball 61 and Arshad Khan's fighting 58 (33). With this defeat, LSG are very much out of contention in the playoffs race whereas DC remain alive but with a very slim chance mathematically. After the loss, Mohammed Kaif lashed out at Lucknow for their poor tactics, inviting DC to bat first at the venue. Kaif told on Star Sports, "Take the video analyst's computer and throw it away. They didn't go with any numbers. 200 has not been chased here at all. I am telling you this year's numbers. In all four matches, the team batting first has won. You won the toss and said you would field first." Also read: 'Rishabh Pant is an instinctive captain': Sourav Ganguly backs DC star to get better with time The former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator further added, "The biggest mistake was the decision at the toss... So, there will be a question mark on the bowling as well. Lucknow had everything to gain from this match... I believe it was an absolute flop show from Lucknow." In IPL history, DC have never lost while defending anything over 200. Meanwhile, no team has managed to chase down any total in excess of 200 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in this year's IPL. Hence, LSG team management certainly made a big mistake, pushing them closer to an early exit. At present, DC are at the fifth spot with 14 points in their league games. Meanwhile, LSG are two spots below DC, with 12 points and a game in hand.

Take the video analyst’s computer and throw it away: Md Kaif BLASTS KL Rahul’s LSG after loss vs DC

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are now in a precarious position to enter the IPL 2024 playoffs after losing two games heavily&nbsp;on the trot. At present, they are at the sixth spot with 12 points and two games to go. With the race for the fourth spot heating up with each passing day, KL Rahul-led LSG need to get their act straight to make it to the next round. After their ten-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), in match 57 in Hyderabad, a video went viral where LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen having an animated talk with Rahul. In the clip, Goenka seemed frustrated with his franchise's defeat and had a tough conversation with his captain.

Since the video went viral, a lot of people criticised Goenka for slamming Rahul in front of the camera and not taking out his frustration in the dressing room. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag also joined the bandwagon and slammed the Lucknow owner. He made a big statement by saying that since the owners are still earning heavy profits, they should not interrupt with the senior team management. Further, Sehwag hinted that given the scenario, Rahul might be tempted to leave LSG ahead of the mega auction later this year.

Talking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said, "The owner's role should be that when they meet the players in the dressing room or during a press meet, they should only talk to motivate them. But if the owner comes and asks - 'What is going on? What's the problem?' or gets hold of one of the team management members and starts to raise questions about a particular player...see the coaches and the captain run the team, so it is better for these owners not to get involved with players or get angry with me."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-fan-touches-ms-dhonis-feet-during-gt-tie-as-mahi-continues-merry-run-with-late-sixes-watch-720319">IPL 2024: Fan touches MS Dhoni’s feet during GT tie as Mahi continues merry run with late sixes – WATCH</a>

<h2>'This is a business where you have to do nothing at all'</h2>

Sehwag added, "These are all businessmen. They only understand profit and loss. But here, there is no loss, so what's bothering them? You are earning a 400-crore profit. I mean, this is a business where you have to do nothing at all. You have guys to take care of that, and irrespective of what happens, you are earning profit. So you're work should only be to motivate the players. What happens is that the player will think that there are other franchises in the IPL, if I leave, someone else will take me. And if you lose a player, your chances of winning are zero. When I left Punjab, they were fifth. They never came fifth in any other seasons."

Rahul-led LSG will lock horns with Delhi Capitals (DC), in New Delhi, in their next clash which will take place on Tuesday (May 14). They will be eager to win their remaining two games to ease their process of entering the playoffs.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are now in a precarious position to enter the IPL 2024 playoffs after losing two games heavily on the trot. At present, they are at the sixth spot with 12 points and two games to go.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are now in a precarious position to enter the IPL 2024 playoffs after losing two games heavily on the trot. At present, they are at the sixth spot with 12 points and two games to go. With the race for the fourth spot heating up with each passing day, KL Rahul-led LSG need to get their act straight to make it to the next round. After their ten-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), in match 57 in Hyderabad, a video went viral where LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen having an animated talk with Rahul. In the clip, Goenka seemed frustrated with his franchise's defeat and had a tough conversation with his captain. Since the video went viral, a lot of people criticised Goenka for slamming Rahul in front of the camera and not taking out his frustration in the dressing room. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag also joined the bandwagon and slammed the Lucknow owner. He made a big statement by saying that since the owners are still earning heavy profits, they should not interrupt with the senior team management. Further, Sehwag hinted that given the scenario, Rahul might be tempted to leave LSG ahead of the mega auction later this year. Talking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said, "The owner's role should be that when they meet the players in the dressing room or during a press meet, they should only talk to motivate them. But if the owner comes and asks - 'What is going on? What's the problem?' or gets hold of one of the team management members and starts to raise questions about a particular player...see the coaches and the captain run the team, so it is better for these owners not to get involved with players or get angry with me." Also read: IPL 2024: Fan touches MS Dhoni’s feet during GT tie as Mahi continues merry run with late sixes – WATCH 'This is a business where you have to do nothing at all' Sehwag added, "These are all businessmen. They only understand profit and loss. But here, there is no loss, so what's bothering them? You are earning a 400-crore profit. I mean, this is a business where you have to do nothing at all. You have guys to take care of that, and irrespective of what happens, you are earning profit. So you're work should only be to motivate the players. What happens is that the player will think that there are other franchises in the IPL, if I leave, someone else will take me. And if you lose a player, your chances of winning are zero. When I left Punjab, they were fifth. They never came fifth in any other seasons." Rahul-led LSG will lock horns with Delhi Capitals (DC), in New Delhi, in their next clash which will take place on Tuesday (May 14). They will be eager to win their remaining two games to ease their process of entering the playoffs.

IPL 2024: 'What's bothering them? You are earning...' - Sehwag BLASTS LSG owner Goenka's act against Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka has come under heavy criticism for his rant at captain KL Rahul after the chastening defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Was Goenka right to publicly castigate Rahul?

Gravitas | Sanjiv Goenka's outburst at KL Rahul sparks outrage

Match 57 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) return to winning ways with a ten-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 8). With the race for the playoffs intensifying with each passing game, Hyderabad mauled Lucknow to get to 14 points and climb to the third spot whereas KL Rahul &amp; Co. need to win their remaining two games after two back-to-back big defeats.

Talking about the game, LSG opted to bat first and rode on Ayush Badoni's 55* and Nicholas Pooran's 48*&nbsp;to post a moderate 165&nbsp;for 4 as Travis Head's 89* (30) and Abhishek Sharma's 75* (28) helped SRH win without dropping any sweat, chasing the target in just 9.4&nbsp;overs. After the heavy loss, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen&nbsp;fuming and had an animated talk with skipper Rahul publicly. The video of the entire discussion went viral on social media platforms, where Goenka can be seen being miffed with the team's performance at a crucial stage of the tournament.&nbsp;

Here is the video:

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LSG’s owner Sanjeev Goenka is agitated with KL Rahul for the loss against SRH. 
 
He has right to be upset but can’t humiliate a senior Indian 🇮🇳 player like this publicly . 
 
Cricket is NOT marwadi dhanda! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvsLSG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvsLSG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JayShah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/2w8OEkgUF3">pic.twitter.com/2w8OEkgUF3</a>
— Kishore (@VATKishore) <a href="https://twitter.com/VATKishore/status/1788272737116651728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-sunrisers-hyderbad-fastest-run-chase-in-t20-history-vs-lsg-719466">IPL 2024: Head, Abhishek power SRH to fastest run chase in all T20s vs LSG</a>

As soon as the video went viral, many claimed that this entire conversation could have been in the dressing room, away from public glare. Talking about Lucknow's position, they are now at the sixth spot with 12 points but have a poor Net Run Rate (NRR); i.e.&nbsp;-0.769. They have two more games to play -- both away encounters versus Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

Thus, Rahul-led LSG have a herculean task to win both their remaining games to stand a chance to qualify. After SRH openers Head-Abhishek's unbroken 167-run opening stand, Rahul said at the post-match presentation, "Am lost for words. We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills. They didn't give us a chance to know what the pitch played in the second innings."

He added, "Was hard to stop them as they teed off from ball one. Once you are on the losing side, there are questions marks on the decisions taken. We were 40-50 runs short."

Match 57 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) return to winning ways with a ten-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 8).

Match 57 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) return to winning ways with a ten-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 8). With the race for the playoffs intensifying with each passing game, Hyderabad mauled Lucknow to get to 14 points and climb to the third spot whereas KL Rahul & Co. need to win their remaining two games after two back-to-back big defeats. Talking about the game, LSG opted to bat first and rode on Ayush Badoni's 55* and Nicholas Pooran's 48* to post a moderate 165 for 4 as Travis Head's 89* (30) and Abhishek Sharma's 75* (28) helped SRH win without dropping any sweat, chasing the target in just 9.4 overs. After the heavy loss, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen fuming and had an animated talk with skipper Rahul publicly. The video of the entire discussion went viral on social media platforms, where Goenka can be seen being miffed with the team's performance at a crucial stage of the tournament. Here is the video: LSG’s owner Sanjeev Goenka is agitated with KL Rahul for the loss against SRH. He has right to be upset but can’t humiliate a senior Indian 🇮🇳 player like this publicly . Cricket is NOT marwadi dhanda! #LSGvSRH #SRHvsLSG @IPL @BCCI @JayShah #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/2w8OEkgUF3 — Kishore (@VATKishore) May 8, 2024 × Also read: IPL 2024: Head, Abhishek power SRH to fastest run chase in all T20s vs LSG As soon as the video went viral, many claimed that this entire conversation could have been in the dressing room, away from public glare. Talking about Lucknow's position, they are now at the sixth spot with 12 points but have a poor Net Run Rate (NRR); i.e. -0.769. They have two more games to play -- both away encounters versus Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI). Thus, Rahul-led LSG have a herculean task to win both their remaining games to stand a chance to qualify. After SRH openers Head-Abhishek's unbroken 167-run opening stand, Rahul said at the post-match presentation, "Am lost for words. We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills. They didn't give us a chance to know what the pitch played in the second innings." He added, "Was hard to stop them as they teed off from ball one. Once you are on the losing side, there are questions marks on the decisions taken. We were 40-50 runs short."

IPL 2024: LSG boss Sanjiv Goenka fumes after loss vs SRH, animated talk with KL Rahul goes viral - Watch

KL Rahul could let go of LSG captaincy for the remaining two matches in IPL 2024 to concentrate entirely on his batting, per the latest reports. After suffering bashing at the hands of SunRisers Hyderabad the other night, LSG CEO Sanjiv Goenka had an animated chat with the captain following the side's lacklustre performance at home.

KL Rahul could let go of LSG captaincy for the remaining two matches in IPL 2024 to concentrate entirely on his batting, per the latest reports. After suffering bashing at the hands of SunRisers Hyderabad the other night, LSG CEO Sanjiv Goenka had an animated chat with the captain following the side's lacklustre performance at home. The reports also suggested that the franchise is thinking against retaining Rahul at the next mega auction. LSG's last home game was one to forget, as they lost to SRH by 10 wickets. If such a result doesn't bother a cricket fan, let alone LSG's, knowing that the touring side chased the target (161) inside 10 overs would. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma played blinders to see their side through. While the Aussie great smashed an unbeaten 89 off 30 balls, hitting eight sixes and as many fours, Abhishek took 75 from 28 balls, whacking six sixes. However, given how clueless LSG looked while defending 161, and more so considering how KL fared with the bat on the same wicket in the first innings, scoring 29 from 33, striking at under 90, his call to step aside from the captaincy for the remainder of the season makes sense. "There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken, but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind," an IPL source told PTI news agency on conditions of anonymity. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: 'I want to be as good as Bumrah' - Harshal Patel on mastering death bowling art Meanwhile, LSG remains in contention for a playoff spot with 16 points (if they win their remaining two matches), but Rahul's under-par show at the top despite nearing 500 runs this season has been a concern for the team. Although his strike rate of 136.07 has been the talking point, based on the same lines, Rahul fell behind in the race for the 2024 T20 World Cup spot, with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picking Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant as first-choice keeper-batters for the 20-team tournament starting June 1. LSG look to part ways with KL Rahul LSG brought KL ahead of their debut season (in 2022), naming him the captain since. While they failed to win an IPL, unlike fellow debutants Gujarat Titans, which won the 2022 edition, the LSG made it to the playoffs in the past two seasons. With the mega auction coming up, the franchise is yet to decide on retaining KL Rahul; however, following the visuals of LSG CEO Goenka bashing KL doing rounds on social media, speculation rises around Rahul's future at LSG. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL: LSG unlikely to retain KL Rahul at next mega auction as star batter vows to leave captaincy - Reports

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav hobbled off the field after picking his first wicket of the night against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday (Apr 30). The apparent injury to Mayank, whose extent is yet unknown, has led to speculations online that LSG captain KL Rahul had rushed the express pacer back into the squad.&nbsp;

After winning the toss, Rahul was quizzed about Mayank's return to the matchday squad where the skipper revealed he had been pushing the medical staff for the pacer's return.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"He bowled really well and had huge impact for us. As a captain, I was tempted to bring him to the team as quickly as possible," said Rahul.&nbsp;

"I keep pushing the physios and medical staffs to give him the confidence. He was eager to go but it's important for him to get enough confidence in the nets. He has to come here and bowl fast without thinking much about the injury," he added.&nbsp;

Mayank was not at his fluent best, as was evident in the first over of the night when he bowled a no-ball and wide to kickstart the proceedings. He did manage to go unscathed in the next couple of overs but upon being summoned to bowl the penultimate over, Mayank felt something.&nbsp;

He bowled an express delivery straight on the stumps which Afghan veteran Mohammad Nabi could not keep out. But as Gerald Coetzee arrived on the crease to face the pacer, Mayank could be seen hobbling off the field. His teammate Naveen-ul-Haq stepped up and bowled the remaining five deliveries to close out the over.&nbsp;

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Mayank Yadav has gone out of the field and couldn't even complete his final over of the spell. <a href="https://t.co/C3B47vLmFy">pic.twitter.com/C3B47vLmFy</a>
— Jay Cricket. (@Jay_Cricket18) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jay_Cricket18/status/1785339611679764553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Notably, Mayank was making a comeback into the squad, having missed the last few games for the franchise after playing only three games.&nbsp;

<h2>LSG contain MI</h2>

Bowling first, LSG bowlers never allowed the MI batters to get used to the slow and tacky nature of the pitch. The MI batters were forced to hit towards the longer square region and in the process lost their wickets.&nbsp;

The five-time champions didn't help their cause when some of the batters got out playing extremely loose shots. In the end, the visitors finished with only 144 on board. If it wasn't for Tim David's late flourish, the scoreboard could have been more dire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Playing XI's:

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (C)(WK), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (C), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav hobbled off the field after picking his first wicket of the night against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday (Apr 30).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav hobbled off the field after picking his first wicket of the night against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday (Apr 30). The apparent injury to Mayank, whose extent is yet unknown, has led to speculations online that LSG captain KL Rahul had rushed the express pacer back into the squad. After winning the toss, Rahul was quizzed about Mayank's return to the matchday squad where the skipper revealed he had been pushing the medical staff for the pacer's return. "He bowled really well and had huge impact for us. As a captain, I was tempted to bring him to the team as quickly as possible," said Rahul. "I keep pushing the physios and medical staffs to give him the confidence. He was eager to go but it's important for him to get enough confidence in the nets. He has to come here and bowl fast without thinking much about the injury," he added. Mayank was not at his fluent best, as was evident in the first over of the night when he bowled a no-ball and wide to kickstart the proceedings. He did manage to go unscathed in the next couple of overs but upon being summoned to bowl the penultimate over, Mayank felt something. He bowled an express delivery straight on the stumps which Afghan veteran Mohammad Nabi could not keep out. But as Gerald Coetzee arrived on the crease to face the pacer, Mayank could be seen hobbling off the field. His teammate Naveen-ul-Haq stepped up and bowled the remaining five deliveries to close out the over. Mayank Yadav has gone out of the field and couldn't even complete his final over of the spell. pic.twitter.com/C3B47vLmFy — Jay Cricket. (@Jay_Cricket18) April 30, 2024 × Notably, Mayank was making a comeback into the squad, having missed the last few games for the franchise after playing only three games. LSG contain MI Bowling first, LSG bowlers never allowed the MI batters to get used to the slow and tacky nature of the pitch. The MI batters were forced to hit towards the longer square region and in the process lost their wickets. The five-time champions didn't help their cause when some of the batters got out playing extremely loose shots. In the end, the visitors finished with only 144 on board. If it wasn't for Tim David's late flourish, the scoreboard could have been more dire. Playing XI's: Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (C)(WK), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (C), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah (With inputs from agencies)

Did KL Rahul rush Mayank Yadav into LSG squad? Pacer hobbles off after taking wicket against MI

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul conceded that he was too late to bring on Ravi Bishnoi during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 27. RR chased the relatively-high target of 197 in 19 overs with seven wickets in hand. Leg spinner Bishnoi, who has played all the nine games for LSG this season, bowled just one over in the innings.

"I couldn't find a good time to bring in Bishnoi, and I think it was a bit too late by the time I got him on. Obviously, the plan was to keep him at the back end and make sure if Rovman [Powell] and [Shimron] Hetmyer come in to bat, he's bowled well against them. That was the plan of how we wanted to use our leg spinners," Rahul said after the loss.

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The skipper also explained using veteran leggie Amit Mishra, who was playing his first game of the season, ahead of Bishnoi.

"Mishra is an experienced player and we've been thinking about using him from the first game," Rahul said. "Today (Saturday) was the day where we felt like he could be useful against their batters in the middle [order] with how slow he bowls and the slightly larger boundary. That was the idea of using him and we were hoping to use Bishnoi in the latter half."

Despite losing two wickets for 11 runs in the first two overs, LSG did well to post 196/5 in 20 overs, thanks largely to Rahul (48-ball 76) and Deepak Hooda's (31-ball 50) 115-run partnership for the third wicket.

While chasing, RR were given a flying start by openers Jos Buttler (18-ball 34) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (18-ball 24) as the duo added 60 runs for the first wicket inside the powerplay. LSG struck back by removing both the openers in space of three balls and then sending back Riyan Parag 18 runs after.

Royals skipper Sanju Samson (33-ball 71 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (34-ball 52 not out) then took the team home with an unbeaten 121-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul conceded that he was too late to bring on Ravi Bishnoi during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 27.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul conceded that he was too late to bring on Ravi Bishnoi during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 27. RR chased the relatively-high target of 197 in 19 overs with seven wickets in hand. Leg spinner Bishnoi, who has played all the nine games for LSG this season, bowled just one over in the innings. "I couldn't find a good time to bring in Bishnoi, and I think it was a bit too late by the time I got him on. Obviously, the plan was to keep him at the back end and make sure if Rovman [Powell] and [Shimron] Hetmyer come in to bat, he's bowled well against them. That was the plan of how we wanted to use our leg spinners," Rahul said after the loss. Also Read: IPL 2024: KKR’s Ten Doeschate offers no sympathy to bowlers, says ‘no point crying about it, be innovative’ The skipper also explained using veteran leggie Amit Mishra, who was playing his first game of the season, ahead of Bishnoi. "Mishra is an experienced player and we've been thinking about using him from the first game," Rahul said. "Today (Saturday) was the day where we felt like he could be useful against their batters in the middle [order] with how slow he bowls and the slightly larger boundary. That was the idea of using him and we were hoping to use Bishnoi in the latter half." Despite losing two wickets for 11 runs in the first two overs, LSG did well to post 196/5 in 20 overs, thanks largely to Rahul (48-ball 76) and Deepak Hooda's (31-ball 50) 115-run partnership for the third wicket. While chasing, RR were given a flying start by openers Jos Buttler (18-ball 34) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (18-ball 24) as the duo added 60 runs for the first wicket inside the powerplay. LSG struck back by removing both the openers in space of three balls and then sending back Riyan Parag 18 runs after. Royals skipper Sanju Samson (33-ball 71 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (34-ball 52 not out) then took the team home with an unbeaten 121-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

IPL 2024: LSG skipper KL Rahul concedes being 'late to bring on Ravi Bishnoi' after loss vs Rajasthan Royals

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) rode on Marcus Stoinis' stunning 124 not out as the KL Rahul-led side chased down 211 versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 40 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (April 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. After Ruturaj Gaikwad's 108* and Shivam Dube's 27-ball 66 propelled Chennai to 210-4, not many gave Lucknow a chance but Stoinis' promotion at No. 3 worked wonders for the two-year-old franchise.

Talking about Lucknow's chase, they were reduced to 33 for 2 and had a lot left to do after reeling at 88 for 3 in 11 overs. Nonetheless, Stoinis -- who batted mostly at No. 5 this season was promoted to No. 3 -- came out all guns blazing and cleverly led the run-chase to end with a 63-ball 124*, laced with 13 fours and 6 sixes at 196.83.&nbsp;

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After the game, Lucknow captain Rahul explained the move to send Stoinis at No. 3. He said at the post-match presentation, "We felt like we needed to be braver and capitalise the powerplay and needed 1 power-hitter in the top-3." He further added, "I’ve realised that T20 cricket has changed in the past couple of years, 170-180 doesn’t always cut it. You need to go harder in the powerplay and the impact player rule also gives you a bit more depth."

Stoinis' best score was 58 in this season before the Australian all-rounder turned it around brilliantly versus the defending champions. After ending with the Player-of-the-Match award, he said, "It’s not just go go go, there were some bowlers we wanted to target and some bowlers we wanted to be more cautious against. There was a phase where I wasn’t able to hit the boundaries so it was great Pooran could come in and take the pressure off. Lots of ebbs and flows, just tried to keep it in control."

Courtesy of Stoinis, Lucknow completed a double over CSK and are now at the fourth spot, with 10 points from eight encounters.&nbsp;

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) rode on Marcus Stoinis' stunning 124 not out as the KL Rahul-led side chased down 211 versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 40 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (April 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) rode on Marcus Stoinis' stunning 124 not out as the KL Rahul-led side chased down 211 versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 40 of the IPL 2024 edition on Tuesday (April 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. After Ruturaj Gaikwad's 108* and Shivam Dube's 27-ball 66 propelled Chennai to 210-4, not many gave Lucknow a chance but Stoinis' promotion at No. 3 worked wonders for the two-year-old franchise. Talking about Lucknow's chase, they were reduced to 33 for 2 and had a lot left to do after reeling at 88 for 3 in 11 overs. Nonetheless, Stoinis -- who batted mostly at No. 5 this season was promoted to No. 3 -- came out all guns blazing and cleverly led the run-chase to end with a 63-ball 124*, laced with 13 fours and 6 sixes at 196.83. Also read: IPL 2024: CSK star explains why Dube and Hardik are not fighting for the same spot in T20 World Cup After the game, Lucknow captain Rahul explained the move to send Stoinis at No. 3. He said at the post-match presentation, "We felt like we needed to be braver and capitalise the powerplay and needed 1 power-hitter in the top-3." He further added, "I’ve realised that T20 cricket has changed in the past couple of years, 170-180 doesn’t always cut it. You need to go harder in the powerplay and the impact player rule also gives you a bit more depth." Stoinis' best score was 58 in this season before the Australian all-rounder turned it around brilliantly versus the defending champions. After ending with the Player-of-the-Match award, he said, "It’s not just go go go, there were some bowlers we wanted to target and some bowlers we wanted to be more cautious against. There was a phase where I wasn’t able to hit the boundaries so it was great Pooran could come in and take the pressure off. Lots of ebbs and flows, just tried to keep it in control." Courtesy of Stoinis, Lucknow completed a double over CSK and are now at the fourth spot, with 10 points from eight encounters.

IPL 2024: ‘We needed to be braver’ - LSG captain Rahul explains reason behind promoting Stoinis vs CSK

Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, skippers of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been fined by the Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captains were reprimanded for maintaining a slow over rate during their sides' match on April 19.

With this being the first offence of both teams, they have been fined $15,000 (INR 12 lakh) each. The board released a statement regarding the same after the match. As for the match, LSG beat CSK by eight wickets on the back of Rahul's 53-ball 82.

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Chasing a target of 177, LSG were in cruise control since the beginning, thanks to their openers Quinton de Kock (53) and Rahul adding 134 runs in 15 overs for the first wicket.

CSK had a good start to the game after winning the toss but lost the track in the middle overs. CSK skipper Gaikwad acknowledged that his team couldn't capitalise in the middle overs while Rahul gave credit to pre-plan strategy and execution for the below par target.

"Obviously, there's a bit of time we spend on doing homework, [and] talking about tactics and strategies against the opposition. And yeah, that was one of our strategies: to use pace, use spin, and make sure that they don't get settled into playing one type of bowling. So [I] tried to mix it around.

"And I think credit goes to the bowlers: I can do all the changing, but if they don't execute, then all of us look stupid as a team. They executed really well. We work really hard at training, and it's good to see that the team is sticking to the plans," Rahul said.

For CSK, it was their third loss in seven games as they stay put at third place on the 10-team points table. LSG, on the other hand, also have same wins in same number of games but are currently fifth on the points table owing to lower net run rate.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, skippers of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been fined by the Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, skippers of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been fined by the Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captains were reprimanded for maintaining a slow over rate during their sides' match on April 19. With this being the first offence of both teams, they have been fined $15,000 (INR 12 lakh) each. The board released a statement regarding the same after the match. As for the match, LSG beat CSK by eight wickets on the back of Rahul's 53-ball 82. Also Read: 'There's a lack of...,' Ex-India batter explains reason behind removing Rohit Sharma as MI skipper Chasing a target of 177, LSG were in cruise control since the beginning, thanks to their openers Quinton de Kock (53) and Rahul adding 134 runs in 15 overs for the first wicket. CSK had a good start to the game after winning the toss but lost the track in the middle overs. CSK skipper Gaikwad acknowledged that his team couldn't capitalise in the middle overs while Rahul gave credit to pre-plan strategy and execution for the below par target. "Obviously, there's a bit of time we spend on doing homework, [and] talking about tactics and strategies against the opposition. And yeah, that was one of our strategies: to use pace, use spin, and make sure that they don't get settled into playing one type of bowling. So [I] tried to mix it around. "And I think credit goes to the bowlers: I can do all the changing, but if they don't execute, then all of us look stupid as a team. They executed really well. We work really hard at training, and it's good to see that the team is sticking to the plans," Rahul said. For CSK, it was their third loss in seven games as they stay put at third place on the 10-team points table. LSG, on the other hand, also have same wins in same number of games but are currently fifth on the points table owing to lower net run rate.

IPL 2024: BCCI fines Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul INR 1.2 million each for THIS reason

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain KL Rahul recalls his best moment with India legend MS Dhoni ahead of the LSG vs CSK tie at Ekana Stadium on Friday (April 19).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain KL Rahul recalls his best moment with India legend MS Dhoni ahead of the LSG vs CSK tie at Ekana Stadium on Friday (April 19). Rahul, who leads the newly inducted IPL franchise, shared kind words for Dhoni, saying the former CSK skipper holds a special place in his and everyone's heart worldwide. Speaking to the broadcaster (Star Sports) in a recorded video ahead of the marquee clash, KL recalled getting all of his international caps (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) from MS Dhoni, who was the Indian captain (at that time), calling it as the special moment he shared with the veteran cricketer. "MS Dhoni is a special person for not only me but the whole country. The most special moment I shared with Dhoni was when I received caps for all the formats. I got all my Tests, one-day and T20 caps from him. He was the captain of the team, and just to receive that from his hand will be (at) top in the special moments. Then comes playing cricket with him, the wins and the losses,” said Rahul on his special moment with Dhoni. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, KL flourished across all formats, soon becoming India’s go-to-batter in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: We like to back players, CSK coach Stephen Fleming pledges support to under fire Daryl Mitchell KL's exploits made him the star batter in the side early in his career, becoming the first-choice opener in white-ball formats for years to follow. However, with time, KL emerged as a top batter in the middle order, with his performances in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup and even during the competition getting acknowledged. Lucknow ready to host Chennai Two top-performing teams this season, LSG and CSK, will be up against each other at the Ekana Stadium for the quest to remain in the top four. While CSK is third on the points table, with four wins in six contested matches, LSG slipped to the sixth spot, following their eight-wicket loss at the hands of KKR in their previous game. For Chennai, the seam-bowling duo of Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman is the one to look out for, while the home side, LSG will bank on their settled batting order to deliver against Chennai. Moreover, all eyeballs will be on Mayank Yadav, who might return to the playing XI for this marquee clash.

IPL 2024: ‘MS Dhoni is a special person’ – KL Rahul recalls best moment with India legend ahead of LSG-CSK tie

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ahead of the key clash in Lucknow, skipper KL Rahul made a big revelation about his liking for Karnataka.&nbsp;Having been quizzed, Rahul admitted his affection for the state, indirectly hinting at a future move to one of the South Indian sides, especially his former side Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

<h2>Rahul hints at future RCB move</h2>

"You can never change the fact that I am a Karnataka player, I am from Bengaluru. KCA is my home, Chinnaswamy Stadium is my home first and then IPL is happening. Everyone wants to play for their home state or their home city and since I am from Bengaluru, playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal," Rahul said while speaking ahead of CSK match.&nbsp;

The LSG captain started his IPL career at RCB in 2013 before going on a ride with Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and LSG. Rahul is one of the consistent performers in the IPL over the years having scored 4367 runs in 124 IPL matches. He also has four IPL hundreds&nbsp;in his role at the top order for several franchises.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-rcbs-glenn-maxwell-explains-decision-for-missing-srh-tie-confirms-his-absence-from-next-game-712621">IPL 2024: RCB’s Glenn Maxwell explains decision for missing SRH tie, confirms his absence from next game</a>

While his heart still is with Karnataka, his priority lies with LSG for now who have made it to the playoffs of the IPL ever since joining the league in 2022.

<h2>LSG vs CSK on Friday</h2>

LSG will have a task in hand on Friday when they square off against CSK knowing a win will be the best possible outcome for them. So far in IPL 2024, LSG have lost three and won three in total of six matches played, languishing in the middle half of the table.

CSK on the other hand have four wins in six matches and sit third in the IPL 2024 standings. Under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have so far lost only two matches and beat Mumbai Indians in a tight contest on Sunday.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ahead of the key clash in Lucknow, skipper KL Rahul made a big revelation about his liking for Karnataka. Having been quizzed, Rahul admitted his affection for the state, indirectly hinting at a future move to one of the South Indian sides, especially his former side Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Rahul hints at future RCB move "You can never change the fact that I am a Karnataka player, I am from Bengaluru. KCA is my home, Chinnaswamy Stadium is my home first and then IPL is happening. Everyone wants to play for their home state or their home city and since I am from Bengaluru, playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal," Rahul said while speaking ahead of CSK match. The LSG captain started his IPL career at RCB in 2013 before going on a ride with Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and LSG. Rahul is one of the consistent performers in the IPL over the years having scored 4367 runs in 124 IPL matches. He also has four IPL hundreds in his role at the top order for several franchises. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: RCB’s Glenn Maxwell explains decision for missing SRH tie, confirms his absence from next game While his heart still is with Karnataka, his priority lies with LSG for now who have made it to the playoffs of the IPL ever since joining the league in 2022. LSG vs CSK on Friday LSG will have a task in hand on Friday when they square off against CSK knowing a win will be the best possible outcome for them. So far in IPL 2024, LSG have lost three and won three in total of six matches played, languishing in the middle half of the table. CSK on the other hand have four wins in six matches and sit third in the IPL 2024 standings. Under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have so far lost only two matches and beat Mumbai Indians in a tight contest on Sunday.

IPL 2024: 'Playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal' - LSG's KL Rahul hints at future switch

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper and batter KL Rahul has created history by becoming the fifth Indian batter to hit 300 sixes in all T20s. Rahul reached the milestone during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 14.

Rahul, who hit two sixes in his innings of 39 off 27, now has exact 300 sixes in 217 T20 games. Ahead of him are, Suresh Raina (325 T20 sixes in 336 matches), MS Dhoni (328 sixes in 382 T20 games), Virat Kohli (383 sixes in 382 T20s), and Rohit Sharma (497 sixes in 431 matches).

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-watch-kkrs-ramandeep-takes-parellel-to-ground-catch-vs-lsg-leaves-owner-srk-in-awe-711155">KKR's Ramandeep takes PARELLEL TO GROUND catch vs LSG; leaves owner SRK in awe</a>

Of&nbsp;his 300 sixes, 178 have come in the IPL where he has played for multiple franchises before becoming LSG skipper. He has previously played for Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SunRisers Hyderabad as well since making his debut in 2013.&nbsp;

For India men's national T20 team, Rahul had turned up 72 times and has hit 99 sixes. His rest of 23 sixes have comes for Karnataka - the side he represents in India's domestic circuit.

In IPL, Rahul's best six-hitting season came in 2018 when he smashed 32 maximums in 14 games. He has also hit 30 sixes twice in the league: in 2021 and 2022.

As for the match against KKR, Lucknow kept losing wickets at regular intervals despite a modest run-rate. LSG were 111/5 in 15th over before Nicholas Pooran scored a handy 32-ball 45 to lift his team to 161/7 in 20 overs. Apart from Rahul and Pooran, Ayush Badoni managed to cross 20-run mark and scored 29 off 27.

For KKR, Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers with 3/28 in four overs. Apart from him, Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Andre Russell also chipped in with one wicket each.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper and batter KL Rahul has created history by becoming the fifth Indian batter to hit 300 sixes in all T20s. Rahul reached the milestone during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 14.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper and batter KL Rahul has created history by becoming the fifth Indian batter to hit 300 sixes in all T20s. Rahul reached the milestone during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 14. Rahul, who hit two sixes in his innings of 39 off 27, now has exact 300 sixes in 217 T20 games. Ahead of him are, Suresh Raina (325 T20 sixes in 336 matches), MS Dhoni (328 sixes in 382 T20 games), Virat Kohli (383 sixes in 382 T20s), and Rohit Sharma (497 sixes in 431 matches). Also Watch: KKR's Ramandeep takes PARELLEL TO GROUND catch vs LSG; leaves owner SRK in awe Of his 300 sixes, 178 have come in the IPL where he has played for multiple franchises before becoming LSG skipper. He has previously played for Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SunRisers Hyderabad as well since making his debut in 2013. For India men's national T20 team, Rahul had turned up 72 times and has hit 99 sixes. His rest of 23 sixes have comes for Karnataka - the side he represents in India's domestic circuit. In IPL, Rahul's best six-hitting season came in 2018 when he smashed 32 maximums in 14 games. He has also hit 30 sixes twice in the league: in 2021 and 2022. As for the match against KKR, Lucknow kept losing wickets at regular intervals despite a modest run-rate. LSG were 111/5 in 15th over before Nicholas Pooran scored a handy 32-ball 45 to lift his team to 161/7 in 20 overs. Apart from Rahul and Pooran, Ayush Badoni managed to cross 20-run mark and scored 29 off 27. For KKR, Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers with 3/28 in four overs. Apart from him, Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Andre Russell also chipped in with one wicket each.

IPL 2024: LSG's KL Rahul becomes fifth India batter to hit 300 T20 sixes. Check full list inside

Ayush Badoni was the reason Lucknow Super Giants didn’t get out inside 20 overs against Delhi Capitals; Badoni was the reason they played till 20 overs and put up a fighting total of 167/7 despite being reduced to 94 for seven at one stage. The right-handed batter found form at the right time in IPL 2024, smashing a quickfire fifty.&nbsp;

Speaking on his improved game, Badoni revealed the backing he got from Captain KL Rahul and head coach Justin Langer helped him get back on track following a jittery start this season. Against DC, where, coming in at number eight, Badoni slammed 55 off 35 balls, including one six and five fours.

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A crucial 5️⃣0️⃣-run partnership 🙌 
 
Ayush Badoni &amp; Arshad Khan have powered <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSG</a> to a competitive total! 
 
Watch the match LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> 💻📱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvDC</a> <a href="https://t.co/coyAwzQ85N">pic.twitter.com/coyAwzQ85N</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1778811245656957128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“The start of the season was not good but I was doing well at the nets. So, I am thankful to KL Rahul and Justin Langer for backing me, and giving me a chance,” Badoni said during a post-game media interaction.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-michael-vaughan-predicts-which-franchise-will-likely-sign-rohit-sharma-next-season-710797">IPL 2024: Michael Vaughan predicts which franchise will likely sign Rohit Sharma next season</a>

Explaining his approach during the time his team struggled to put up runs on the board, the right-hander said,&nbsp;

“While I was batting, I was just thinking of taking the game deep, and then attack because if we bat till 20 overs, we can score 150 plus. I think we were 20 runs short. I was quite motivated because I was batting well at the nets so I was just backing myself, I was just waiting for the knock which came today,” he added.

<h2>‘Training in Australia helped me’</h2>

Badoni revealed he travelled to Australia in September last year and trained with Langer to work on his game; a reflection of which was seen in Friday’s match against Delhi.&nbsp;

Besides, he also thanked captain KL Rahul for backing him every time, showering praise on his finishing ability in the death overs.&nbsp;

“I spoke a lot to KL Rahul and he backs me every time. He tells me you are the best player and you can finish well. I also share a good bonding with Justin. I went to Australia last year and there also he made me learn a few things and improved my game,” Badoni said.

“I went to Australia in September last which was facilitated by LSG where we had a training camp with Justin for 10 days and that helped me a lot,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, LSG continues to sit in the top half of the points table despite losing their previous game. With three wins from five contested matches thus far, LSG has six points in their kitty.

Ayush Badoni was the reason Lucknow Super Giants didn’t get out inside 20 overs against Delhi Capitals; Badoni was the reason they played till 20 overs and put up a fighting total of 167/7 despite being reduced to 94 for seven at one stage.

Ayush Badoni was the reason Lucknow Super Giants didn’t get out inside 20 overs against Delhi Capitals; Badoni was the reason they played till 20 overs and put up a fighting total of 167/7 despite being reduced to 94 for seven at one stage. The right-handed batter found form at the right time in IPL 2024, smashing a quickfire fifty. Speaking on his improved game, Badoni revealed the backing he got from Captain KL Rahul and head coach Justin Langer helped him get back on track following a jittery start this season. Against DC, where, coming in at number eight, Badoni slammed 55 off 35 balls, including one six and five fours. A crucial 5️⃣0️⃣-run partnership 🙌 Ayush Badoni & Arshad Khan have powered #LSG to a competitive total! Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #LSGvDC pic.twitter.com/coyAwzQ85N — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2024 × “The start of the season was not good but I was doing well at the nets. So, I am thankful to KL Rahul and Justin Langer for backing me, and giving me a chance,” Badoni said during a post-game media interaction. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: Michael Vaughan predicts which franchise will likely sign Rohit Sharma next season Explaining his approach during the time his team struggled to put up runs on the board, the right-hander said, “While I was batting, I was just thinking of taking the game deep, and then attack because if we bat till 20 overs, we can score 150 plus. I think we were 20 runs short. I was quite motivated because I was batting well at the nets so I was just backing myself, I was just waiting for the knock which came today,” he added. ‘Training in Australia helped me’ Badoni revealed he travelled to Australia in September last year and trained with Langer to work on his game; a reflection of which was seen in Friday’s match against Delhi. Besides, he also thanked captain KL Rahul for backing him every time, showering praise on his finishing ability in the death overs. “I spoke a lot to KL Rahul and he backs me every time. He tells me you are the best player and you can finish well. I also share a good bonding with Justin. I went to Australia last year and there also he made me learn a few things and improved my game,” Badoni said. “I went to Australia in September last which was facilitated by LSG where we had a training camp with Justin for 10 days and that helped me a lot,” he concluded. Meanwhile, LSG continues to sit in the top half of the points table despite losing their previous game. With three wins from five contested matches thus far, LSG has six points in their kitty.

IPL 2024: Ayush Badoni on his improved performance - ‘I went to Australia for training camp with Langer’

Match 26 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) host the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the&nbsp;Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday (April 12). KL Rahul-led Lucknow will start as overwhelming favourites as they are ranked third as opposed to Delhi, who are struggling at the bottom.

Lucknow are coming into this game on the back of an impressive 33-run win against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at home. In fact, the LSG franchise is one of the five teams that are so far unbeaten at home in the ongoing edition. They are on a three-match winning streak, after a loss in their season-opener, and will be confident taking on Rishabh Pant &amp; Co.

Talking about the visiting side, Delhi have their task cut out. They are in the tenth spot, with one win from five encounters. There are problems aplenty for the DC camp as they have failed to adapt and have also been plagued by injury concerns. A lot has been said and written about their team selection and strategies. If they come up with better and smarter plans, they can cause an upset this evening.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-dinesh-karthik-for-t20-world-cup-rohits-hilarious-stump-mic-remark-makes-heads-turn-watch-710390">IPL 2024: Dinesh Karthik for T20 World Cup? Rohit's hilarious stump mic remark makes heads turn - Watch</a>

Match preview and result prediction: The pitch on offer in Lucknow has assisted the bowlers, especially the pacers with the batters not getting a freeway to score at a brisk pace. This will also help the Delhi camp, given the kind of bowling attack they possess. It all depends on whether it's a black&nbsp;or red soil deck which will determine the nature of the pitch. However, one can expect&nbsp;another sporting surface with&nbsp;bowlers being in the game throughout.&nbsp;

Expect a moderate-scoring game, in the 160-170 range, with Lucknow likely to keep their winning streak going.

Match 26 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) host the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday (April 12).

Match 26 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) host the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday (April 12). KL Rahul-led Lucknow will start as overwhelming favourites as they are ranked third as opposed to Delhi, who are struggling at the bottom. Lucknow are coming into this game on the back of an impressive 33-run win against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at home. In fact, the LSG franchise is one of the five teams that are so far unbeaten at home in the ongoing edition. They are on a three-match winning streak, after a loss in their season-opener, and will be confident taking on Rishabh Pant & Co. Talking about the visiting side, Delhi have their task cut out. They are in the tenth spot, with one win from five encounters. There are problems aplenty for the DC camp as they have failed to adapt and have also been plagued by injury concerns. A lot has been said and written about their team selection and strategies. If they come up with better and smarter plans, they can cause an upset this evening. Also read: IPL 2024: Dinesh Karthik for T20 World Cup? Rohit's hilarious stump mic remark makes heads turn - Watch Match preview and result prediction: The pitch on offer in Lucknow has assisted the bowlers, especially the pacers with the batters not getting a freeway to score at a brisk pace. This will also help the Delhi camp, given the kind of bowling attack they possess. It all depends on whether it's a black or red soil deck which will determine the nature of the pitch. However, one can expect another sporting surface with bowlers being in the game throughout. Expect a moderate-scoring game, in the 160-170 range, with Lucknow likely to keep their winning streak going.

IPL 2024, Match 26: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals – Match preview and result prediction

Athiya Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul are not expecting their first child yet. The rumours around Athiya's pregnancy started when her father, actor Suniel Shetty remarked on becoming a grandparent during an appearance on a dance reality show. However, sources close to the couple have denied news of their pregnancy.&nbsp; 
 
While speaking to Hindustan Times, a source close to Athiya and Rahul said, "There is no truth in the buzz. Suniel's nana remark was said in jest and in a very informal way. His remarks have been misinterpreted by all." 
 
What did Suniel Shetty say on the show? 
 
Shetty is currently appearing as a celebrity judge on the show Dance Deewane alongside actress Madhuri Dixit Nene. When the show's host Bharti Singh teased him about what kind of grandfather he would be, the actor said, “Yes, next season when I come (on the show), I will be walking on the stage like a nana.” 
 
Commenting on Athiya and Rahul's relationship, the source also added, “They both are happily married and enjoying this phase of life. They want to expand their family at some point of life, but they are enjoying this phase of life. At the moment, there is no truth to the pregnancy speculation. They will announce the news and share their happiness with everyone, as and when it happens. The family will come out and share -- because that is the nature of the Shetty family. For now, they just want the joke to be taken as a joke, and not seriously”. 
 
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul got married in 2023 after dating for five years. The couple tied the knot at Suneil Shetty's Khandala farmhouse in a very intimate ceremony which was attended by close family and friends.&nbsp; 
 
Post-wedding, in the joint update on Instagram they wrote, "In your light, I learn how to love... Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that's given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness."

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Athiya Shetty made her Bollywood debut in 2015 in Hero alongside Sooraj Pancholi. She also starred in Mubarakan, and Motichoor Chaknachoor amongst others. KL Rahul is a wicketkeeper-batsman for the Indian cricket team.

Athiya Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul are not expecting their first child yet. The rumours around Athiya's pregnancy started when her father, actor Suniel Shetty remarked on becoming a grandparent during an appearance on a dance reality show.

Athiya Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul are not expecting their first child yet. The rumours around Athiya's pregnancy started when her father, actor Suniel Shetty remarked on becoming a grandparent during an appearance on a dance reality show. However, sources close to the couple have denied news of their pregnancy. While speaking to Hindustan Times, a source close to Athiya and Rahul said, "There is no truth in the buzz. Suniel's nana remark was said in jest and in a very informal way. His remarks have been misinterpreted by all." What did Suniel Shetty say on the show? Shetty is currently appearing as a celebrity judge on the show Dance Deewane alongside actress Madhuri Dixit Nene. When the show's host Bharti Singh teased him about what kind of grandfather he would be, the actor said, “Yes, next season when I come (on the show), I will be walking on the stage like a nana.” Commenting on Athiya and Rahul's relationship, the source also added, “They both are happily married and enjoying this phase of life. They want to expand their family at some point of life, but they are enjoying this phase of life. At the moment, there is no truth to the pregnancy speculation. They will announce the news and share their happiness with everyone, as and when it happens. The family will come out and share -- because that is the nature of the Shetty family. For now, they just want the joke to be taken as a joke, and not seriously”. Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul got married in 2023 after dating for five years. The couple tied the knot at Suneil Shetty's Khandala farmhouse in a very intimate ceremony which was attended by close family and friends. Post-wedding, in the joint update on Instagram they wrote, "In your light, I learn how to love... Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that's given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Athiya Shetty (@athiyashetty) × Athiya Shetty made her Bollywood debut in 2015 in Hero alongside Sooraj Pancholi. She also starred in Mubarakan, and Motichoor Chaknachoor amongst others. KL Rahul is a wicketkeeper-batsman for the Indian cricket team.

Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul are not expecting their first child, contrary to rumours

Eyebrows were raised on Saturday (Mar 30) evening after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) sensationally sent West Indies star Nicholas Pooran for toss as KL Rahul did not appear with the team news sheet for the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter. With LSG set to play Punjab Kings (PBKS) for their first home match of the season, Rahul was training with the squad, however, it was a lack of fitness that forced him to hand the captain’s armband to Pooran. It was later revealed that Rahul was playing as an Impact Player and therefore won’t be playing the entire 40 overs.

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💙 Ni(C)ky P 
📍 Ekana 
 
Let's go 💪 <a href="https://t.co/x0iPCY1ARI">pic.twitter.com/x0iPCY1ARI</a>
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucknowIPL/status/1774074362695393691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Rahul plays as Impact Player</h2>

“We'll bat first. Looks like a good track, runs on the board could be vital. KL is coming back from injury and we're looking to give him a break in such a long tournament, but he'll play as an impact player today. Everyone must take the opportunities and perform at their best,” Nicholas Pooran said at toss to Murali Kartik.

Rahul is not 100 per cent which promoted the team management to push for the move while allowing debuts for Mayank Yadav and Manimaran Siddarth. KL Rahul will have a tense couple of months to come considering he is not guaranteed a spot in the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. In his only match of the IPL 2024, Rahul has scored 58 runs against Rajasthan Royals where they were on the losing side.

Interestingly, LSG have named only three overseas players in their Playing XI, meaning they could sweep Rahul with an overseas player. Naveen-ul-Haq is the obvious choice once Rahul leaves the field. At the time of writing, LSG were 78/3 with Rahul scoring 15 off 9.

For Punjab, they went unchanged under the captaincy of Shikhar Dhawan with Arshdeep Singh likely to be replaced by impact player Prabhsimran Singh. PBKS have so far won one and lost one in the IPL 2024.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bundesliga-harry-kane-coman-declared-fit-for-dortmund-clash-but-neuer-misses-out-705808">Bundesliga: Harry Kane, Coman declared fit for Dortmund clash but Neuer misses out</a>

LSG Playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (c), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth

PBKS Playing XI

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Eyebrows were raised on Saturday (Mar 30) evening after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) sensationally sent West Indies star Nicholas Pooran for toss as KL Rahul did not appear with the team news sheet for the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter.

Eyebrows were raised on Saturday (Mar 30) evening after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) sensationally sent West Indies star Nicholas Pooran for toss as KL Rahul did not appear with the team news sheet for the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter. With LSG set to play Punjab Kings (PBKS) for their first home match of the season, Rahul was training with the squad, however, it was a lack of fitness that forced him to hand the captain’s armband to Pooran. It was later revealed that Rahul was playing as an Impact Player and therefore won’t be playing the entire 40 overs. 💙 Ni(C)ky P 📍 Ekana Let's go 💪 pic.twitter.com/x0iPCY1ARI — Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 30, 2024 × Rahul plays as Impact Player “We'll bat first. Looks like a good track, runs on the board could be vital. KL is coming back from injury and we're looking to give him a break in such a long tournament, but he'll play as an impact player today. Everyone must take the opportunities and perform at their best,” Nicholas Pooran said at toss to Murali Kartik. Rahul is not 100 per cent which promoted the team management to push for the move while allowing debuts for Mayank Yadav and Manimaran Siddarth. KL Rahul will have a tense couple of months to come considering he is not guaranteed a spot in the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. In his only match of the IPL 2024, Rahul has scored 58 runs against Rajasthan Royals where they were on the losing side. Interestingly, LSG have named only three overseas players in their Playing XI, meaning they could sweep Rahul with an overseas player. Naveen-ul-Haq is the obvious choice once Rahul leaves the field. At the time of writing, LSG were 78/3 with Rahul scoring 15 off 9. For Punjab, they went unchanged under the captaincy of Shikhar Dhawan with Arshdeep Singh likely to be replaced by impact player Prabhsimran Singh. PBKS have so far won one and lost one in the IPL 2024. ALSO READ | Bundesliga: Harry Kane, Coman declared fit for Dortmund clash but Neuer misses out LSG Playing XI Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (c), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth PBKS Playing XI Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

IPL 2024: Why Nicholas Pooran is captaining LSG instead of KL Rahul against PBKS - Revealed

Lucknow Super Giants will host Punjab Kings in their second game of IPL 2024 on Saturday (March 30). Both teams are entering this match having suffered defeats in their previous matches, with LSG losing their opener to Rajasthan Royals while Punjab going down in Bengaluru against RCB in their second tie. With the win and two points in mind, both teams will bring their A-game today. Here is the match preview and result prediction of the LSG vs PBKS match in IPL 2024.

<h2>Match Preview&nbsp;</h2>

Two teams yet to put their hands on the IPL trophy will be up against each other in a rare single match on Saturday. LSG, the hosts, will take a lot of positives from their season opener while trying to avoid making the same mistakes.

Although their top order failed miserably against the moving ball upfront against RR, they will want a turnaround from their star line-up to get things moving in this tournament. Captain KL Rahul will again hog all the limelight, and overseas batters like Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis in the lower order will have their tasks cut out to better their previous inning performance.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shaheen-shah-afridi-set-to-be-stripped-of-pakistans-t20i-captaincy-babar-azam-offered-role-705706">Shaheen Shah Afridi to be stripped of Pakistan's T20I captaincy; Babar Azam offered role</a>

Meanwhile, bowling remains their go-to department, with multiple match winners in Naveen-ul-Haq and Ravi Bishnoi.

On the other side, the travelling Punjab Kings have looked more composed and settled in two contested games, pushing their case for a better finish this season. Shikhar Dhawan-led side have shown promise across all departments and will be raring to go to bag their second win this season in Lucknow.

While their batting order consists of some mega stars, three of which are Englishmen – Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and all-rounder Sam Curran, the fans can expect some exploits from the Indian talent Jitesh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh.

Harpreet Brar is the bowler to look out for, while the seam duo of Arshdeep and Rabada will hold the keys with the new ball.

<h3>Head-to-Head -</h3>

In three matches played against each other, LSG leads PBKS by 2-1.&nbsp;

<h3>Result Prediction -</h3>

While the spirited PBKS side will look out for an upset, LSG will walk into this contest as favourites.

Predicted Playing XIs of both teams –

LSG - KL Rahul (c &amp; wk), Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Naveen-ul-Haq

PBKS - Shikhar Dhawan(c), Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma(wk), Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh

Lucknow Super Giants will host Punjab Kings in their second game of IPL 2024 on Saturday (March 30). Both teams are entering this match having suffered defeats in their previous matches, with LSG losing their opener to Rajasthan Royals while Punjab going down in Bengaluru against RCB in their second tie.

Lucknow Super Giants will host Punjab Kings in their second game of IPL 2024 on Saturday (March 30). Both teams are entering this match having suffered defeats in their previous matches, with LSG losing their opener to Rajasthan Royals while Punjab going down in Bengaluru against RCB in their second tie. With the win and two points in mind, both teams will bring their A-game today. Here is the match preview and result prediction of the LSG vs PBKS match in IPL 2024. Match Preview Two teams yet to put their hands on the IPL trophy will be up against each other in a rare single match on Saturday. LSG, the hosts, will take a lot of positives from their season opener while trying to avoid making the same mistakes. Although their top order failed miserably against the moving ball upfront against RR, they will want a turnaround from their star line-up to get things moving in this tournament. Captain KL Rahul will again hog all the limelight, and overseas batters like Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis in the lower order will have their tasks cut out to better their previous inning performance. ALSO READ: Shaheen Shah Afridi to be stripped of Pakistan's T20I captaincy; Babar Azam offered role Meanwhile, bowling remains their go-to department, with multiple match winners in Naveen-ul-Haq and Ravi Bishnoi. On the other side, the travelling Punjab Kings have looked more composed and settled in two contested games, pushing their case for a better finish this season. Shikhar Dhawan-led side have shown promise across all departments and will be raring to go to bag their second win this season in Lucknow. While their batting order consists of some mega stars, three of which are Englishmen – Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and all-rounder Sam Curran, the fans can expect some exploits from the Indian talent Jitesh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh. Harpreet Brar is the bowler to look out for, while the seam duo of Arshdeep and Rabada will hold the keys with the new ball. Head-to-Head - In three matches played against each other, LSG leads PBKS by 2-1. Result Prediction - While the spirited PBKS side will look out for an upset, LSG will walk into this contest as favourites. Predicted Playing XIs of both teams – LSG - KL Rahul (c & wk), Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Naveen-ul-Haq PBKS - Shikhar Dhawan(c), Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma(wk), Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh

IPL 2024, Match 11: Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings - Match preview and result prediction

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