With T20 World Cup selection not far away, KL Rahul could have one remaining likelihood to stake declare on the second wicketkeeper’s spot within the Indian team when Lucknow Super Giants host Mumbai Indians within the Indian Premier League in Lucknow on April 30.
| Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
With T20 World Cup selection not far away, KL Rahul could have one remaining likelihood to stake declare on the second wicketkeeper’s spot within the Indian team when Lucknow Super Giants host Mumbai Indians within the Indian Premier League in Lucknow on April 30.
Rahul’s strike-rate in T20 cricket has at all times been a bone of rivalry. Despite the benefit of discipline restrictions within the Powerplay, Rahul has usually began his innings on a sluggish word within the IPL. However, the LSG captain has managed to change gears this season.
In the 2024 version, he has scored 378 runs at a strike fee of 144.27 however it’s nonetheless lower than that of Rishabh Pant (160.60) and Sanju Samson (161.08).
While comeback man Pant has all however sealed the primary wicketkeeper’s spot within the marquee occasion within the Caribbean islands and the USA in June by displaying some sharp work behind the stumps and sensational knocks with the bat, Samson has additionally made a powerful case for himself by taking part in match-winning knocks for Rajasthan Royals at a brisk tempo.
In such a situation, Rahul wants to play extra fearlessly and exploit the sphere restrictions not solely to strengthen his Indian team selection prospects but in addition to assist his aspect rating in in extra of 200 runs, which has turn into a norm on this version.
LSG had been handed a seven-wicket loss by Rajasthan Royals, who chased the 197-run goal with six balls to spare. The onus will even be on the team’s massive hitting troika of Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran to hit these towering maximums and get match-winning totals because the race for the playoff heats.
They will fancy their possibilities towards a struggling Mumbai bowling unit which was carted everywhere in the park by the Delhi Capitals batters the opposite day.
MI bowlers struggled to discover solutions towards younger Jake Fraser-McGurk, who wreaked havoc within the Powerplay.
Even the world class Jasprit Bumrah conceded a 19-run over earlier than returning to his frugal self whereas the likes of Luke Wood and skipper Hardik Pandya had been pummelled into submission. They would look to do higher.
Mumbai Indians discover themselves in a precarious place sitting ninth on the factors desk. They want to win all their matches to keep alive within the competitors.
The five-time champions want to hearth as a unit and the likes of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, premier T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav can be like to get into the rhythm and churn out some constant performances ahead of the World Cup.
All-rounder Pandya has flopped with the bat and ball this season. He did get his highest rating this season the opposite day however extra can be wanted to make it to the World Cu squad.
Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph, Yash Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Prerak Mankad, Arshad Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Amit Mishra, Kyle Mayers, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Mayank Yadav and Arshin Kulkarni.
Match begins 7.30pm IST.