All eyes will be on Lucknow skipper Rahul’s batting approach against Punjab after his unimpressive strike-rate sabotaged their previous game v Gujarat
LSG’s KL Rahul during his 68 v GT in Lucknow on Saturday. Pic/PTI
The IPL has entered the decisive second half of the league phase, and barely two points separate the top six teams. The other four are also not too adrift. The field is thus wide open for each team to aim for the top-four spot in order to qualify for the Playoffs. In such a scenario the teams have to seize even the smallest opportunity to garner as many wins as possible. Lucknow Super Giants have let go of a couple of games from a winning position and that could well hurt them in the final analysis. As of now, things are still in their control, but they need to show positive intent right through the match and not let their guard down.
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Punjab high on confidence
Lucknow Super Giants, who come up against Punjab Kings tonight here in Mohali, know very well that the hosts are on a high and they will have to bring out their best to subdue them. Punjab Kings played their last match last Saturday when they outplayed hosts Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring game. There is little doubt Punjab Kings are on a high after the win at Wankhede Stadium and have had five days to recuperate and resume their battle with confidence.
Both teams have their own set of problems concerning their captains. LSG captain KL Rahul has a couple of half-centuries, but both have been in a losing cause. The problem with Rahul is that when he bats deep, he tends to lose momentum. And that has hurt the interests of the team. He has to show the way to his fellow players instead of bringing the team down along with him. Another factor that is hurting LSG is the decision of the team management to keep Quinton de Kock on the bench. He is one player who can win matches single-handedly. It needs to be seen if the LSG think-tank has a change of mind, as far as de Kock is concerned, especially as another wicketkeeper-batter, Nicholas Pooran has misfired in the last couple of games.
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LSG fielding coach Jonty Rhodes pointed out that though de Kock is a class player, Kyle Mayers has also grabbed his opportunities. “Both Mayers and de Kock are left-handed openers and play fluently. Besides, Nicholas Pooran has filled in well as a wicketkeeper-batsman. That has made us wait on de Kock. Hopefully, we will find a way to include him in coming games as his experience will come in handy at the back end of the tournament,” Rhodes said.
Dhawan’s presence missed
On the other hand, Punjab Kings are missing their captain Shikhar Dhawan. The in-form left-hander has missed the last three games due to an injury that he sustained during their game against defending champions Gujarat Titans on April 13. Punjab Kings would be praying that their skipper is fit again as he has been in sublime form with the bat. He has scored 233 runs in just four games, including an unbeaten 99 and 86 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
Though in Dhawan’s absence, stand-in captain Sam Curran stepped up as a leader, guiding the team to two wins in their last three games, the 37-year-old Dhawan will look to continue his purple patch as PBKS chase their maiden IPL trophy. Not only is his contribution with the bat very important, he also needs to be on the field to lead the team.
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