All eyes on Rahul as Lucknow Super Giants looks to put the past behind them

Rahul says, “Strike-rate is over-rated. It depends upon demand. If you chase 140, you don’t need to go with a 200 strike-rate, it depends upon the prevailing situation”

The bitterness of the IPL 2022 Eliminator defeat may have lingered for a while, but given Lucknow Super Giants’ new signings, it looks like the team has moved on.

Super Giants’ maiden campaign could have ended better than the fourth-place finish they managed after a 14-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the playoffs.

K.L. Rahul’s slow-paced half-century during a steep 208-run chase proved a big blow. While the captain pointed at sloppy fielding as the reason for the reverse, mentor Gautam Gambhir’s ice-cold stare directed at him told a different story.

It is baffling why Rahul, a batter blessed with a wide repertoire, adopts a cautious approach while opening in T20s. During Super Giants’ jersey launch earlier this month, the Karnataka batter explained his view on strike rates.

“Strike-rate is over-rated. It depends upon demand. If you chase 140, you don’t need to go with a 200 strike-rate, it depends upon the prevailing situation,” Rahul said.

It will be interesting to see how the skipper goes about his business this season.

The team management, too, has made things easier for him. In the lead-up to the auction, the Lucknow outfit released a chunk of overseas seamers besides top batters Evin Lewis and Manish Pandey.