DC vs LSG: 'KL Rahul always stops...' - Aakash Chopra joins Sanjiv Goenka in blasting LSG skipper for this reason

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra criticized Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul for his batting approach during their recent match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Aakash Chopra highlighted that KL Rahul always restricts himself from adopting an aggressive batting approach.

KL Rahul opted to bat first after winning the toss at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8. However, his decision backfired as Lucknow lost Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis wickets inside five overs. They ended the powerplay with just 27 runs for two wickets.

KL Rahul managed to score 29 runs off 33 deliveries before being dismissed by SRH skipper Pat Cummins. Middle-order batters Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran stitched an unbeaten 99-run stand for the fifth wicket. The visiting team posted a below-par total of 165/4 in their allotted 20 overs.

The Wagon Wasn't Moving From Both Ends - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that the Lucknow Super Giants struggled to accelerate after the dismissals of Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis. Chopra pointed out KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya's failures to provide momentum.

"There couldn't have been a slower local than this because you scored only 27 runs in the first six overs. First Quinton de Kock and then Marcus Stoinis got out. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets this time as well. The wagon wasn't moving from both ends. Basically, it was a traffic jam," Chopra said.

"Krunal Pandya came to bat and scored 24 runs off 21 balls. KL Rahul scored 29 runs off 33 balls. He always stops himself. He hit a six in front of the wickets off Pat Cummins' bowling but after that, the wagon didn't move at all, and then when he tried to hit once, he was caught in the deep. So nothing happened there as well," he added.

After the dismissals of De Kock and Stoinis, KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya (24 off 21) took 5.4 overs to add 36 runs, slowing down the innings. The Super Giants found themselves struggling at 66/4 in 11.2 overs. However, Badoni and Pooran helped the team cross the 150-run mark in the recent match.

Slightly Unacceptable These Days - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra stated that the Super Giants were virtually out of the match due to their slow batting in the initial overs. The cricketer-turned-commentator mentioned that scoring only 27 runs in the first six overs was insufficient, especially considering the strong SRH batting lineup.

"You cannot score 27 runs in six overs. It's not something you can make the game with because firstly, you have a team with such a strong batting lineup in front of you, and secondly, 27 runs in six overs is slightly unacceptable these days. After that, only 57 runs were scored in the first 10 overs and three wickets were lost," Chopra further stated.

The KL Rahul-led team failed to defend the total as the SRH openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, scored 167 runs in 19.4 overs. LSG has been massively hit by the net run rate after the massive loss. They are currently in sixth place in the standings, with 12 points in the same number of matches.

The Lucknow-based team will take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, May 14. They need to win the remaining two games to be in the race for a playoff berth.

Also read: SRH vs GT: Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma dedicate their historic partnership vs LSG to..