"Can be a great asset in white-ball cricket" - KL Rahul impressed with Ayush Badoni's 360-degree hitting
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul seemed mighty impressed with young Ayush Badoni, who continues to grow from strength to strength in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After a steady half-century against Gujarat Titans, the 22-year-old Badoni played a short cameo alongside Evin Lewis to hand Lucknow their first-ever win in the IPL. His two big hits eased out the pressure on the experienced West Indian as LSG chased down 210 runs with three balls to spare.
How calm was Ayush badoni?
As the praise continues to pour in for young Badoni, KL Rahul believes he could be a great asset for India in limited-overs cricket. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rahul said:
"Credit for him should go do Vijay Dahiya and GG. They were the ones who were really keen on getting him. I had seen a few videos of him before but you obviously see only the good shots there."
He added:
"Since the first day I've come into the camp, he has been phenomenal. He's strong, a 360-degree player who can ball as well. Great find for Indian cricket. Hopefully, he can learn and get better to be a great asset in white-ball cricket."
Ayush Badoni remained unbeaten on 19 off 9 deliveries, including two towering sixes in the pressure situation to put the defending champions on the backfoot before hitting the winning runs.
Chasing 211 runs in a T20 game is no mean task and Lucknow did it with perfection. It is the fourth-highest total chased in IPL history.
Speaking on the mammoth run-chase, KL Rahul pointed out that having a left hand-right hand combination at the beginning helped a lot. The 29-year-old continued:
"You give yourself an over or two. Have to get a couple of boundaries going to settle your nerves but after that it's 200 on the board. You know what you have to do. Capitalize on the powerplay and put pressure on the bowler. That's what we tried to do. Batting with Quinny with the right-left combo does have its advantages. He's been in good form coming into the tournament, so he was batting beautifully as well. We gave the team the ideal start we needed, so that's good."
After a superlative start, where LSG scored 99 runs in 10.2 overs, the Chennai franchise managed to shift the momentum, picking up a couple of wickets. But Evin Lewis used his experience to great effect to pace the run chase.
Evin Lewis is the hero for Lucknow, he was unsold then in last round LSG picked him as backup opener with base price then asked to bat at 4 and scored 55* runs from just 23 balls including 6 fours and 3 sixes. What a knock, Lewis. https://t.co/4jK27cs4Nj
A regular opener, the West Indian is batting in an unusual position at No.4. However, KL Rahul revealed that he is not bothered by it and wants to score runs wherever he bats.
"I had this chat with him before the first game. I said me and Quinny will be opening so you might have to bat at three. He said it doesn't matter. Spinner or fast bowlers, he'll just go about it one way. He's worked really hard on his batting since the last time I've seen him. He's hitting all over the park. It's great to see him performing well and that's putting a smile on the captain's face," KL Rahul added.
Lewis remained unbeaten on 55 runs from 23 balls, which included six boundaries and three sixes to see the IPL team through.
Check out the IPL purple cap 2022 here.
"He has a big heart and is a fighter" - KL Rahul on Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi has been outstanding on a wicket with nothing much for the bowlers #CSKvsLSG
On a wicket that saw over 400 runs being scored, young leg-spinner Bishnoi was spectacular with the ball. He picked up two crucial wickets and conceded only 24 runs in his four overs that helped Lucknow contain CSK to 210 runs.
KL Rahul stated that Bishnoi is not afraid of challenges, which speaks volumes about his character.
The Lucknow captain concluded:
"I've said this before. He has a big heart and is a fighter for a young boy. He wants to be in a fight and didn't shy away from it, despite being hit for a few runs in the previous game. It just shows the character he has to bounce back quickly, even with the wet ball. When they've got off to a 70-run start in the powerplay, to come back like that talks about his character. Really happy for him. He's been someone who wants to grow and learn. Spending a lot of time with his spin coaches. It's really good to see."
With two points in two games, the Lucknow Super Giants play Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next fixture on Monday, according to the IPL 2022 schedule.