With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, KL Rahul has a crucial opportunity to solidify his claim as the second wicketkeeper for Team India when Lucknow Super Giants face Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on April 30. Rahul’s strike rate in T20 cricket has been a subject of debate, with critics pointing to his slow starts in the Powerplay. However, the LSG captain has shown signs of improvement this season, scoring 378 runs at a strike rate of 144.27.
While Rishabh Pant has all but sealed the first wicketkeeper’s spot with his impressive performances behind the stumps and with the bat, Sanju Samson has also made a strong case for himself with his match-winning knocks for Rajasthan Royals. In this scenario, Rahul needs to play more aggressively and capitalize on the field restrictions to not only strengthen his Indian team selection prospects but also help his side score in excess of 200 runs, which has become a norm in this edition of the IPL.
LSG suffered a seven-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals, who chased down the 197-run target with six balls to spare. The onus will be on the team’s big-hitting trio of Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, and Nicholas Pooran to deliver maximums and set match-winning totals. They will fancy their chances against a struggling Mumbai bowling unit that was taken apart by the Delhi Capitals batters recently.
Mumbai Indians find themselves in a precarious position, sitting ninth on the points table. They need to win all their remaining matches to stay alive in the competition. The five-time champions need to fire as a unit, with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and premier T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav looking to find their rhythm and churn out consistent performances ahead of the World Cup. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has flopped with both bat and ball this season, but he will be hoping to make amends and secure a spot in the World Cup squad.
