LSG are in a foul mood and understandably. The tiffs aside, they had no business losing after restricting RCB to just 126 runs. As far as bad batting performance go in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, this one takes the cake.
New Delhi: One this is for sure when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) meet Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next home game on Wednesday – the whole affair will be calmer. Even Gautam Gambhir might break into a smile. Quite a change from the turbulent contest they lost last evening, a loss of points that might not have been such an issue if it were some other side. But with Virat Kohli and Gambhir on opposing ends, fireworks of some kind are always to be expected. By contrast, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the last person to ever get ruffled, and that is good news for LSG. But that is where the good news may end.
LSG are in a foul mood and understandably. The tiffs aside, they had no business losing after restricting RCB to just 126 runs. As far as bad batting performance go in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, this one takes the cake.
Further, one was left wondering what was the need for KL Rahul, whose injury evidently is quite bad, to come in to bat when he did. It wasn’t like that the match was hanging by a thread – LSG were well and truly out of it and Rahul for all his skills, is not a batter who’d get that many runs of such few deliveries. Not to mention the risk of aggravating the injury.
So, LSG will almost surely be without him when they take on CSK, who on their part will be equally gobsmacked about how they lost to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their last game.
CSK looked in control for much of the PBKS match but their bowling, which has improved exponentially through the tournament, could not keep the PBKS lower order in check.
CSK’s batting is never an issue. The top two in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway are thriving and invariably contributions come in through the inning, and the old master Dhoni was there to provide the finishing touches like only he can.
But thereafter, the bowling conceded too many runs to too many PBKS batters, enough for the latter to scramble home.
LSG have lost three out of their last five matches and now also their captain, while CSK have suffered two successive. Positions three and four, as held by the two sides, will be assaulted by a couple of teams, so all points are now vital. One assumes that will bring the best out of both sides, who will fight hard on the ground but there will be smiles after the match.