Battered, bruised, broken - LSG hoist the white flag amid an ocean of orange
KL Rahul put on a blend of a brave face and a poker face when he had to speak about his side's defeat at the hands of the merciless SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), which effectively ended their pursuit of the playoffs. The skipper was left speechless at the end but has to find his voice soon to lift what is left of the team after being subjected to one of IPL's most brutal defeats.
A virtual knockout affair, hyped to no end, turned out to be a scaled-up version of gully cricket between two different age groups. LSG's net run rate plummeted to -0.769, the second-worst out of all teams after SRH chased down the 166-run target inside 10 overs.
It is funny to think that LSG, against whom chasing was considered difficult at one point, suffered a defeat with the most balls to spare in IPL history. LSG had an invincible record while defending in the IPL until April 7, 2024, an impressive feat, no doubt. But since then, they have failed to defend a single target in four attempts. Cursed might be the first thought that crosses the mind of the majority.
However, in this instance, there is no need to investigate any paranormal activity or black magic, because the ingredients of the downfall are for everyone to see, mostly self-inflicted with a blend of unfortunate circumstances.
The conspiracy theorists would love to believe that the pitch was swapped midway through the innings, while the delusional may tell that to themselves to assure themselves or remain in denial, but in the end, it is LSG's stubbornness to cling to the past that has catalyzed their downfall.
LSG aspire to drive a vintage car in a grand prix without sustaining a scratch
Tepid, sedate, and lethargic - you may use any of these adjectives to describe LSG's batting, and none may actually do full justice to what was on show.
Assessing the par score was the first and the most important challenge on a surface which indeed was slow to begin with, but how slow? Twenty-seven runs in the powerplay slow? LSG scored only one boundary in the powerplay, the lowest tally of the entire season.
Some early dismissals dented LSG early on, but that is hardly an excuse for passive scoring these days. Depth in the batting order coupled with the provision of making an impact sub gave LSG the luxury of at least attempting to go hard in the first half of the innings.
In hindsight, discussing the batting is completely in vain considering SRH would have possibly chased down anything that was on the board, as KL Rahul pointed out in the post-match presentation. But, paradoxically, that is the most important aspect that needs to be discussed.
Injuries have hampered the bowling unit, so with not much expectations from them, it is the batters' responsibility to make up for it. But with a reserved and conservative mindset that starts at the top and an age-old reliance on individualistic brilliance, it is not surprising to find LSG where they are at the minute.
LSG's scoring rate in the first six overs this season is abysmal when compared with their peers, and that is the bedrock of their woes. A similar lack of intent was observed in their away loss to KKR and their home defeat to DC.
This leads one to believe that if LSG are allergic to risks? It gives one the impression that LSG have been living under a rock, oblivious or ignorant as to how the game has evolved. And If this does not wake LSG from their slumber, then nothing will.
KL Rahul yet to completely grasp and incorporate impact's dominance over volume
There have been shades and signs of KL Rahul finally molding into a new-age player, but only flashes are far from enough at this level. As long as he does not instill the belief that his run regardless of the volume, has to be impactful, there is only trouble brewing.
Rahul needs to reduce the price of his own wicket, and trust the batters around him. He has all the shots and class in the world, but the major hindrance is his mindset. Every time he sets out to bat, there is an impression that he wants to remain there till the end, and this is where the volume vs impact debate comes in once again.
He needs to accept that it is fine if he does not stay or attempt to stay till the end or that his dismissal is not the end of the world. As long as he plays on a high gear from a word go even just for the powerplay, that's a job well done. He has to trust his teammates to handle the other parts of the innings rather than trying to assume control over everything.
Matthew Hayden on air stated that it was a better wicket than what we are seeing. Yes, it was a slow wicket, but even a slow wicket needs a spark, and teams have done it before. Slow wickets do not give you the license to just stroke the ball around assuming the opposition will also react the same way, instead, it invites you to find a way to be productive against the odds.
Ironically, he stated himself what an ideal start to the innings is like, but has somehow failed to incorporate it into his own game.
"When you have two batters coming in with that kind of mindset and freedom and they tee off from ball one, it's very hard to stop them," Rahul said during the post-match presentation
So, the question is what is stopping LSG from replicating the same, or at least attempting it? Lack of skill, lack of belief, or just cold feet?
Goenka sheds diplomacy for wrath and it adds another layer to LSG's downward spiral
LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka cut a smiling and diplomatic figure on the stands as his team was being mercilessly slaughtered on the field, but he was seething inside, as any franchise owner would. He turned the switch, shed his facade, and swapped it for the ruthless business figure, right after Abhishek Sharma hit the final nail in the coffin.
Goenka lashed out at KL Rahul and gave him a dressing down in public, in a sight that is not quite easy to forget. At no point during their interaction did KL Rahul look like an accomplished international cricketer and an Orange Cap winner in the IPL, he was just an employee like millions of others, silently being on the receiving end of the boss' temper tantrum.
One may never know what the exact nature of the conversation was, and some may even say that KL Rahul perhaps deserves it, but there will be a unanimous opinion stating that it was wrong on Goenka's part to launch his tirade in public like that.
It certainly brought out a sense of Deja vu. Two years ago, following LSG's defeat to RCB in the 2022 IPL eliminator, then-LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was livid at KL Rahul. Back then the skipper had scored 79 runs off 58 deliveries while chasing 208 runs. The jersey has changed, the coaching staff has changed, and the squad has changed since then, but the core issue remains the same, now conceivably more than ever.
The idea of LSG without KL Rahul seemed unfathomable not so long ago, but taking recent events into account, there is just a nagging feeling that the franchise needs a major overhaul, with someone else at the helm perhaps. The face-off between Goenka and Rahul does not help those who wish to assuage themselves, but there is still a chance for rectifying, and the question of release and auction might just be a touch too soon to bring up.
LSG's instant on-field success since inception, coupled with its vibrant and active social media team has painted a picture of a happy team since its inception. But LSG might just have their first-ever blown-out crisis on their hands, something which may need radical changes either on the field or off the field soon if things do not pick up.
Losing by 98 runs and 10 wickets across consecutive matches will certainly impact LSG mentally, and there have been signs that it has already done its damage. The LSG bowling attack conceding over 400 runs inside 30 overs over the last two matches is giving fans a major throwback to Stick Cricket, Book Cricket, and Video Game Cricket all at once. Lucknow are well past head-scratching or shrugging, it is time for a revamp, starting with their mindset as mentioned earlier.
LSG are currently stuck in something worse than a nightmare because one can at least wake up from it to end it. This is currently a limbo, which needs something more than a 'kick' to wake up.