KL Rahul was a pleased captain as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) registered their second victory of the ongoing IPL season with a 12-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Monday (April 4).
Asked to bat first, LSG posted 169/7 on the board despite tottering at 27 for three at one stage. Skipper Rahul was the top-scorer with 50-ball 68 while Deepak Hooda made a vital contribution of 33-ball 51. The duo was involved in an 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Later, Avesh Khan (4-24), Jason Holder (3-34), and Krunal Pandya (2-27) starred with the ball as LSG restricted SRH to 157/9 to secure two important points.
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"What's pleasing is that we've found a way to stay in the game and give ourselves a good chance of winning. We did that again. Not ideal to lose three wickets early, but we need to give ourselves a little time since we bat deep and we have power at the death. That's something we need to learn as a batting group - how to do play risk-free cricket while looking for fours. But with the ball we've been brilliant in all three games," said KL Rahul in the post-match presentation ceremony.
"I've been playing with Hooda for the last 3-4 seasons, he doesn't come out of the nets. Don't really need to do so many nets when you're batting so well, but he never comes out of the nets. He had to wait for his chance, he's using that, and now is becoming someone you can rely on, in the middle order," he added.
The Lucknow captain is not concerned about the top-order collapse and failure of his opening partner Quinton de Kock.
"We don't chat so much in the middle. As opening batsmen, you give yourselves a couple of balls and if the wicket is good then both openers have to go. We have that extra batter with Jason coming in, so the plan is to put pressure on the opposition. That's the body language we want to carry. To go out there and hit boundaries and sixes, but choose smart shots. If we lost wickets early, we need to quickly assess the situation and see what the target should be. Quinton and Lewis wanted to put pressure on Washington, but it didn't come off,” Rahul remarked.
Lucknow Super Giants will face Delhi Capitals in their next match on April 7.
(With ANI inputs)
