KL Rahul's Performance Not 'Bad at All,' Says LSG Assistant Coach

KL Rahul's performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a subject of scrutiny, with some questioning his strike rate and overall impact on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, assistant coach Lance Klusener has defended Rahul, stating that the skipper has not performed "bad at all" and has been hindered by circumstances.

Rahul, who is also the team's captain, has scored 465 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 136.36, including three fifties. Despite his efforts, LSG find themselves on the brink of elimination.

Klusener believes that Rahul has had to curb his attacking instincts due to wickets falling around him. "We've lost wickets around him. We haven't allowed him to play his natural game," Klusener said.

He added that Rahul has often had to rebuild the innings, which has prevented him from playing his natural, more aggressive game. "If you look at the circumstances, he's had to rebuild a lot of the time while he's been batting, so the batting group around him haven't done him too many favours either," Klusener said.

Klusener also refused to put the blame on any specific reason as to why the team failed to perform up to its potential. "I'm a big believer that the bowling group plays a huge role in winning T20 games. But there's no blame at anyone's door," he said.

"It's just a consistency as a group that has led us down this year. We haven't scored enough runs and again, we haven't taken enough wickets as well. You put all that together and that's why you end up where we are on the log."

Despite their struggles, Klusener said LSG still have a chance of making the IPL playoffs if they beat Mumbai Indians on Friday and other results go their way. "We're not resigned to any fact. We're just in a position where we can only make sure that we get over the line tomorrow. We've had enough opportunities over the course of the competition to make sure we don't have to rely on others," he said.

Tags: #KL, Rahul#Lucknow, Super, Giants#IPL, 2023#Lance