KL Rahul Reflects on Lucknow Super Giants’ Opening Loss in IPL 2024

After Lucknow Super Giants’ 20-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in the IPL opener, skipper KL Rahul shared his insights on the match. He emphasized not reading too much into the loss but acknowledged the persistent struggle for teams to decode the Powerplay puzzle this season.

The introduction of the two-bouncer-per-over rule in this year’s IPL seemed to have an impact on LSG’s initial overs, with three quick wickets falling during their chase of 194. Similarly, Rajasthan Royals had a slightly better start, with 54 for 2 in their Powerplay overs.

In the post-match presentation, Rahul commended the return of Mohsin as a crucial powerplay bowler and highlighted Naveen‘s contributions to the team. Both Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal had to undergo concussion protocols after receiving blows to the helmet from Trent Boult.

Rahul downplayed the target of 194, stating that it was manageable and that LSG displayed resilience despite losing early wickets. He emphasized the need for the team to find ways to secure victories in tight situations.

The skipper expressed his satisfaction with starting the season with a half-century after missing a significant portion of the previous season due to injury. He praised coach Justin Langer for bringing calmness to the squad and drawing inspiration from Langer’s successful coaching stints with Australia.