Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) succumbed to a humiliating 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 57 of the IPL 2024 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 8).
Chasing the target of 166, SRH’s opening duo of Travis Head (89* off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (75* off 28) made a mockery of LSG bowling attack, finishing the match in just 9.4 overs.
After the drubbing, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka’s public outburst at team skipper KL Rahul caught everyone’s attention.
Now, a report published in PTI has claimed that Rahul's future as LSG skipper is uncertain for the remaining two league matches.
According to the report, there is no clarity if the management would like to retain him by paying a whopping sum of INR 17 Crore before the mega auction next season.
The LSG management is tight-lipped on the issue. However, there is speculation that Rahul might relinquish captaincy on his own and focus on batting in the next two games.
"There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind," an IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
As per the report, there is also a possibility that Rahul might just lead the side since it’s a matter of only two games, with LSG all but out of contention for the play-offs race.
During the match against SRH, KL Rahul also came under the scanner for his circumspect batting approach. Opening the innings, he scored 29 off 33 balls with one boundary and a six.
Overall, Rahul has amassed 460 runs in 12 games and could again cross the 500-run mark for the season but it is his strike-rate of 136.09 which is the cause of concern.
It is worth noting here that among the top eight run getters in IPL, Rahul has the worst strike-rate batting inside the top three. All the other seven batters have a strike rate above 140, with some like Travis Head taking the bar beyond 200 plus.
LSG are still mathematically in contention as they can reach 16 points by winning their remaining two games, but it will be very difficult to improve upon the net run-rate (-0.760).
If Rahul decides to quit the leadership position, vice-captain Nicholas Pooran is likely to take over for the remaining two games.
(With PTI Inputs)
