According to sources, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul has been ruled out of the remaining of the Indian Premier League season after suffering a hamstring injury against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
LSG are comfortably second on the points table but will be worried about their captain’s fitness as the campaign nears its end.
Rahul has had a dim campaign with the bat, scoring only 274 runs in nine games with a strike rate of 113. However, given his previous credentials, he is an essential part of their lineup, and his absence from the cash-rich tournament will be devastating to their hopes.
Here are three reasons why KL Rahul’s exclusion from the IPL 2023 would be a huge blow to LSG.
1) Lack of quality Indian batters
The Lucknow Super Giants don’t have many choices for replacing KL Rahul as the opening batter. Manan Vohra is the only possible option, having played the abandoned game against CSK today, scoring only 10 runs off 11 deliveries.
Vohra hasn’t played in many IPL games recently and hasn’t taken use of his few opportunities. As a result, Rahul’s absence will create a significant void in LSG’s batting order.
2) Might cause a change in the overseas line-up
Due to an absence of quality Indian choices, LSG may explore inserting Quinton de Kock in their lineup. The inclusion of the South African batter may appear to be a good decision, but it has the may to cause more harm than good. It will need a reorganisation of LSG’s international fleet. Mayers will not be dropped since that would create the same problem.
Other foreign players in their current lineup include Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, and Naveen-Ul-Haq. Naveen is most likely to be dropped, which will hurt their bowling attack. LSG is already reliant on Mohsin Khan, who has recently returned from injury, and Yash Thakur, who has limited experience. As a result, The absence of KL Rahul will be a huge issue for the LSG management.
3) LSG’s last two batting performances
LSG’s previous two batting efforts haven’t generated confidence in their supporters. They fumbled a low-scoring run chase against RCB, being bowled out for 108 and losing by 18 runs. Today, against CSK, they scored 125-7 in 19.2 overs before the game was called off due to rain.
As a result, other teams will be aware of LSG’s batting struggles and will attempt to exploit this weakness. Given his quality and experience, KL Rahul’s mere presence in the lineup keeps the opposition on their toes.
