Lucknow Super Giants captain K.L. Rahul plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2024 against Rajasthan Royals in Lucknow on April 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
K.L. Rahul (76, 48b, 8×4, 2×6) overcame early hiccups and heralded another recovery job in the company of Deepak Hooda to take Lucknow Super Giants to 196 for five against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium here on Saturday.
Rahul and Hooda combined for 115 runs for the third wicket after Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma’s new ball exploits plundered the Lucknow top order. Boult added to his collection of first-over wickets with a delivery that pitched and straightened, taking Quinton de Kock’s off stump with it.
Sandeep breaching Marcus Stoinis’ gate with a nip-backer in the second over, would have been the perfect emulation of his new-ball partner had he hit the off stump and not the middle.
Undeterred by the fall of wickets, Rahul flexed his mobility when he fashioned a slog sweep and breached the fence despite losing balance and falling down off R. Ashwin. If the 20 runs off the last two PowerPlay overs evened the contest, Avesh Khan’s 21-run eighth over swung the momentum in the home team’s favour.
Rahul started with a chip over mid wicket before hooking an over-the-waist No Ball over the fine-leg fielder. The LSG skipper was gifted a full toss on the Free Hit which was duly dispatched to bisect the boundary riders at deep mid wicket and long on.
Hooda flaunted his deft off-side range, punching Boult through covers and backward point off identical lengths in the 11th over. Courtesy of a five-wide, the over yielded 18 runs for the Super Giants.
It took a carrom ball from Ashwin to fox Hooda who holed out at long on immediately after his 30-ball half-century. Nicholas Pooran failed to sway the contest in his side’s favour after Sandeep accounted for him.
A final flourish was on the cards when Ayush Badoni fancied his chances and switch hit Ashwin for four. But a bouncer from Avesh that led Rahul to pick the fielder at third man proved too heavy a stumble to recover from.
Krunal Pandya and Badoni added 12 runs from the final over but could not take LSG past 200.
