Watch: LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka fumes at KL Rahul after defeat against SRH | IPL 2024 News

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka seen having an animated chat with KL Rahul

The palpable disappointment in the Lucknow camp was evident, with Goenka, Rahul, and their teammates visibly disheartened by the setback, which significantly dented their prospects of securing a spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs. Despite heading to Hyderabad with high hopes of maintaining their flawless record against former champions SunRisers, Lucknow Super Giants faltered against a resurgent SRH side. The Super Giants managed a modest 165, only to witness SunRisers chase down the target in just 9.4 overs, establishing a new T20 record in the process.

The defeat saw Lucknow Super Giants slide to the sixth position in the points table, with their net run rate taking a substantial hit. With 12 points from as many games, Lucknow now find themselves two points adrift of the third-placed SunRisers.

KL Rahul bore the brunt of criticism for his cautious approach on the field. Despite winning the toss and opting to bat first, Lucknow’s lacklustre performance in the powerplay proved costly. Managing a mere 27 runs and losing two wickets during this crucial phase, the Super Giants struggled to match SunRisers’ explosive start, with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head dominating the powerplay.

While Rahul’s innings of 29 runs off 33 balls came under scrutiny, contributions from Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran enabled Lucknow to post a respectable total of 165. However, SunRisers’ openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, exhibited a masterclass in big-hitting, propelling their side to victory with a record-breaking opening partnership of 167 runs.

In the aftermath of the defeat, Rahul, echoing the sentiments of cricket enthusiasts worldwide, lauded the exceptional batting display by Head and Sharma. “I am lost for words,” he said while talking to the broadcasters after the one-sided contest.

“We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills. They didn’t give us a chance to know what the pitch played in the second innings,” he added.

As Lucknow Super Giants regroup for their upcoming fixtures, they will be aiming to rediscover their winning form when they face Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 14, followed by a crucial encounter against Mumbai on May 17. Rahul and LSG have a proud record to keep up, as the Lucknow-based franchise has never failed to make the playoffs in their nascent IPL history. 

But fans want KL Rahul to quit LSG

Fans were not too pleased with Goenka choosing to lash out at Rahul publicly. Many fans believed the LSG owner could have waited for the players to return to the dressing room or a more private place to converse. They also urged Rahul to leave LSG, citing disrespect from the franchise’s owner.

This is just pathetic from @LucknowIPL owner
Never saw SRH management with players on the field or even closer to dressing room irrespective of so many bad seasons and still face lot of wrath for getting involved. Just look at this @klrahul leave this shit next year #SRHvsLSG pic.twitter.com/6NlAvHMCjJ

— SRI (@srikant5333) May 8, 2024

On the other hand, former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris commended KL Rahul’s ability to maintain composure in this situation, stating, “He has done well to keep his cool here. I think you are bang on.”

First Published: May 09 2024 | 11:16 AM IST