PBKS vs LSG: Lucknow played stupid cricket with the bat, I was fuming at mid-innings - KL Rahul
India Today
Lucknow Super Giants managed to successfully defend 153 against Punjab Kings in Pune on Friday, but captain KL Rahul was far from impressed with their batting effort. LSG lost 6 wickets for just 28 runs in a span of 5 overs during their innings.
Lucknow Super Giants managed 2 crucial points on the board after outclassing Punjab Kings in Match 42 of IPL 2022 at the MCA Stadium in Pune, but LSG captain KL Rahul was not one bit happy with his team's batting performance, saying they 'played stupid cricket'.
Lucknow Super Giants successfully defended a below-par total of 153 after a rare failure from KL Rahul with the bat. Quinton de Kock made 46 and stitched an 85-run stand with Deepak Hooda for the 2nd wicket, but LSG suffered a middle-order collapse. They went from 98 for 1 to 126 for 7, losing 8 wickets for just 28 runs in a span of 5 overs.
Big guns, including Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder and Krunal Pandya, fell for single-digit scores as LSG huffed and puffed to 153, thanks to some late blows from lower-order batters Mohsin Khan and Dushmantha Chameera.
"I was disappointed and fuming at the end of the first innings. We played stupid cricket with the bat," Rahul said at the post-match presentation.
"We need to get better with the bat. Half-time, when Quinny and Deepak were batting. They paced it really, really well to get to 60 in 9 overs on a tricky wicket. Had we batted smartly, we could have gotten to 180-190.
"I think we just need to be smarter at reading the game. If we could not have played too many shots, we could have done better. We have been good on the field and good with the ball. Just need to keep repeating the good things."
After an underwhelming show with the bat, LSG bowlers put up a spirited display as pacer Dushmantha Chameera (2/17) and Krunal Pandya (2/11) grabbed two wickets each.
