IPL 2023: 'Whose decision was that?' Sehwag slams LSG after loss to GT, reveals 'blunder' committed by them
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IPL 2023: Virender Sehwag lashed out at the LSG camp after the GT loss and revealed the 'blunder' committed by them. Here's what he said -
In match 52 of the IPL 2023 edition, on Sunday (May 07), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. In the afternoon game, stand-in captain Krunal Pandya surprised many by opting to bat first. His bowlers were in for a leather hunt as Wriddhiman Saha's 43-ball 81 and Shubman Gill's 94 (51) propelled Gujarat to 227-2 in 20 overs. In reply, LSG only managed 171-7 to lose by a whopping 56-run margin.
During the run-chase, LSG were 102 for 1 at the halfway mark, courtesy of a rapid start from in-form opener Kyle Mayers (32-ball 48) and Quinton de Kock's 41-ball 70. However, they only managed 69 runs in the last ten overs. Many experts and former cricketers were left puzzled with LSG as they promoted Deepak Hooda at No. 3 instead of their in-form duo Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran. Thus, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag slammed the LSG think tank.
"They were 102/1 after 10 overs. They shouldn't have lost with this much of a margin after that. After that first wicket, I believe an in-form batter should've come; it could be Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya himself, or Ayush Badoni, who scored some very quick runs in the previous game against Chennai. And who came? Hooda," said Sehwag on Cricbuzz.
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He further asserted, "They lost that match at that moment. It was a blunder from LSG. If Nicholas Pooran had come there, the way he plays, he could've probably scored a 20-ball 50 and changed the game. If you need 100 runs in five overs, you are not going to win."
“Ayush Badoni scored 21 off 11 balls. If he had arrived at the time, he could've increased the pace of scoring as well. Whose decision was that? Captain? Coach? or the management? Who sent Hooda at 3? It should've been an in-form batter there,” Sehwag added.
LSG occupy the third spot with 11 points from as many games. They next face the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on May 13.
