NEW DELHI: Wasim Jaffer, a former Indian hitter, said that he was taken aback by KL Rahul's timid approach during Lucknow Super Giants' significant run chase against Royal Challengers (RCB) Bangalore in an IPL 2023 match.
The legendary cricketer also advised the LSG captain to take a chance by playing aggressive cricket because Lucknow has a quality batting lineup.
On Monday night, Lucknow defeated RCB by a dramatic one-wicket margin. Rahul's performance was lacking as he was removed for 18 off 20 balls, falling short of the 213-run mark as Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) and Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) batted outstandingly.
"I'm shocked. It was also a little uncomfortable. You need to lead from the front when you are chasing 213 and you are the captain, Jaffer said ESPNcricinfo.
Rahul will need to alter his goal. LSG has a strong batting order. Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda have not yet been sacked from the current roster. The batting has a lot of depth as well. While the squad has excellent backups, he will need to demonstrate some motivation. If Rahul is dismissed, LSG won't necessarily be unable to score runs, he continued.
Jaffer continued by saying that the rest of the batters are being put under additional strain as a result of the captain's inaction at the plate.
Rahul has played some dazzling innings, but he can occasionally hog the clock in franchise cricket. It also puts pressure on the players in the dugout and the non-striker. Hence, the other batters are forced to take needless risks. Rahul is able to play aggressive cricket. He simply needs to bat with a more uplifting intention, he said.
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