Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen lambasted KL Rahul over his intent to score in the powerplay, as the Indian opener struggled to get going against the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. The 31-year-old was often criticized for his poor start in the innings.
Kevin Pietersen, who is currently part of the Broadcasting unit of IPL 2023, was seen commentating during the Lucknow Super Giants batting took a brutal dig on LSG skipper, as he found it tough to find the boundaries in the early overs against Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma.
“Watching KL Rahul bat is the most boring thing I have ever been through,” Kevin Pietersen said in Commentary.
? "Watching KL Rahul bat in the powerplays is the most boring thing I have ever been through."
:said Kevin Pietersen on air.#RRvsLSG pic.twitter.com/2u1HtT2ZXd
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) April 19, 2023
Many cricketing pundits and fans expressed their disappointment over KL Rahul’s innings as he scored 39 runs off 32 balls at a strike rate of 121.88.KL Rahul was finally dismissed by Jason Holder for 39 from 32 balls with Jos Buttler completing the catch.
The 2023 season has been a moderate start for LSG Skipper as he scored 194 runs from 6 matches at the poorest strike rate of 114.79. The Karnataka batter holds a poor strike rate among the top 30 scorers in the IPL 2023.
KL Rahul Is Far Better Than Sanju Samson – Virender Sehwag
While previewing the match, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag believes LSG skipper KL Rahul is far better than Sanju Samson as he already established himself in the Indian team as an all-format player. The 44-year-old cited the example of KL Rahul’s hundreds in overseas conditions and also lauded his performance in ODI cricket.
“If you talk about establishing yourself in the Indian team, I believe KL Rahul is far better than Sanju Samson. He has played Test matches and scored hundreds in many countries. He has performed well in ODIs, both as an opener and in the middle order, and has also scored runs in T20 cricket,” Virender Sehwag said.
Kl Rahul’s strike rate was always a talking point in T20 cricket, as he always takes of lot time to settle down in the middle. KL Rahul has so far played 11 maiden overs in the 1st over of innings as he played another maiden against Trent Boult on Wednesday.
Lucknow Super Giants will take on defending champions Gujarat Titans in their 7th league game on April 22 at Ekana Stadium. The KL-Rahul-led side is currently in the 2nd position of the points table with 4 wins from 6 games sitting next to Rajasthan Royals.