Lucknow Super Giants assistant coach, Lance Klusener, has come to the defense of KL Rahul, asserting that despite the team's recent setbacks, Rahul has had a commendable performance throughout the IPL 2024 season. Although overlooked for the ICC T20 World Cup and facing public criticism from the franchise owner, Rahul's contributions as captain have been noteworthy.
Super Giants' journey in IPL 2024 started on a promising note, with the team being in contention for the playoffs. However, their hopes were dashed as they lost four of their last five matches, significantly impacting their progress. Amidst this disappointing run, franchise owner Sajiv Goenka publicly criticized the team after a humiliating loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In a recent press conference before their match against Mumbai Indians, Klusener refrained from commenting on the Goenka-Rahul incident but praised Rahul's resilience and leadership qualities. Despite facing challenges, Rahul has led the team with distinction, earning the respect of his teammates.
"I think he's probably a little bit frustrated about his performances over the tournament. I think he's had to rebuild a lot of the times we've lost wickets around him. We haven't allowed him to play his natural game. So it's easy to just sit and think, 'oh, well, he hasn't had a great tournament'. But if you look at his numbers, they're actually not bad at all, considering the circumstances that he's had to bat. He's a great cricketer and got the respect of the group," Klusener said in the pre-match press conference before his team's clash with Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, as quoted by NDTV.
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He's had to rebuild a lot of the time while he's been batting: Klusener
Reflecting on Rahul's batting performances, Klusener emphasized the lack of support from other batters, leading to Rahul having to rebuild innings frequently. Despite this, Rahul's statistics remain respectable, with 465 runs in 13 matches at an average of 35.7 and a strike rate of 136.36, including three fifties and a highest score of 82. Klusener commended Rahul's captaincy skills and his ability to handle pressure situations on the field. He acknowledged Rahul's frustration at times but highlighted the challenging circumstances he faced while batting.
"So in terms of his captaincy, I think it's been outstanding. His respect amongst the group is outstanding. As I said, I think if he looks back, he might just be a little frustrated with the amount of runs, I guess, that he scored.
"But if you look at the circumstances, he's had to rebuild a lot of the time while he's been batting. So, I think, the batting group around him haven't done him too many favours either," Klusener added.
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