KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants finished the last four if IPL 2022. Before LSG, Jonty Rhodes was fielding coach Punjab Kings.
New Delhi: Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes backed Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul, stating the India batter’s calmness at the ground is very crucial in the shortest format of the game and for the franchise in the upcoming IPL 2023 that starts on March 31.
Rahul recently have been struggling with form at the international level. Although he scored a fifty in the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia, his scores in Tests and T20Is haven’t been been worthy and as a result, went through a lot of criticism.
Rhodes defended Rahul. “He is a wonderful batter and a great captain who loves to lead from the front. We have no doubts about his ability as he had a wonderful season last year. One-day cricket is something different and Rahul has grown in his captaincy,” said the South African, who is the fielding coach of Lucknow Super Giants.
“His calmness at the ground is great, it is very important in T20 cricket,” added Rhodes, who redefined the art of fielding. LSG open their IPL 2023 campaign against Delhi Capitals on April 1 at home. However, they will be missing Quinton de Kock for the first two games.
De Kock will be playing for South Africa in the ICC World Cup qualifier matches against Netherlands on March 31 and April 1. Uncapped pacer Mohsin Khan, who impressed last year, is also doubtful for the initial stages as he is recovering from an injury.
Bowling ✅
Batting ✅
Fielding ✅
And now Flying ✅KG can do it all! 🙌 #LucknowSuperGiants | #LSG | #GazabAndaz pic.twitter.com/Uue6xN8eOL
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 23, 2023
Rhodes heaped high praise for the youngsters in the side and hopes to better their show from last year. LSG played the playoffs last year. “I am very excited about LSG’s new season. It is an important opportunity for everyone to do much better. They need to learn from what they did last season. Certainly, there is pressure on everyone to perform much better this time.
“The players, including KL Rahul (skipper), Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, etc., had a wonderful time with their performances. They have already spent a year with a fine coach Andy Flower, who has a very positive relationship with Rahul; it helps a team get good results,” he said.