‘Captaincy isn’t something that’s ever plagued him…’: Rhodes backs India star | Cricket

KL Rahul finally found his batting form on Saturday in Match 21 of IPL 2023, but couldn’t prevent a defeat for Lucknow Super Giants as they lost by two wickets against Punjab Kings, in Lucknow. Chasing a target of 160 runs, PBKS reached 161/8 in 19.3 overs, courtesy of a knock of 57 runs off 41 balls by Sikandar Raza. Meanwhile, Yudhvir Singh, Mark Wood and Ravi Bishnoi bagged two wickets each for LSG.

Initially, KL Rahul smacked 74 runs off 56 balls, packed with eight fours and a six, as LSG posted 159/8 in 20 overs. For PBKS’ bowling department, Sam Curran took three wickets and Kagiso Rabada scalped two dismissals.

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Rahul finding his form will also be good news for Team India’s management, especially with the ODI World Cup coming up this year. Speaking after the match, LSG fielding coach Jonty Rhodes pointed out that the pressure of captaincy has never held back Rahul, and he has always led from the front.

“The captain is someone who likes to lead from the front. He has always been a successful dominating batter in all the IPLs. Captaincy isn’t something that’s ever plagued him because before many great batters when given captaincy don’t quite handle it. He’s led from the front and I think it’s great to see that”, he said.

“He’s converted some starts into runs and we don’t worry. We know the way that he practices, we know what he can do and it’s only a matter of time till he scores runs”, he further added.

Rahul is currently LSG’s second-highest run-scorer with 155 runs in five matches. He hasn’t really found his footing yet, unlike previous IPL seasons. Meanwhile, LSG are in second position in the standings, with six points from five games, packed with three wins and two defeats.