"I don't know whether he will play as a captain" - Aakash Chopra picks KL Rahul among 3 LSG players in focus in IPL 2024 clash vs RCB
Aakash Chopra has picked Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul as one of the players in focus in their IPL 2024 clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru on Tuesday, April 2. However, he acknowledged that he isn't aware whether the wicketkeeper-batter will captain the franchise.
Rahul captained LSG in their tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, he handed over the captaincy reins to Nicholas Pooran in their second game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and was replaced by impact sub Naveen-ul-Haq after his stint with the bat.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra chose Rahul among the three Lucknow Super Giants players he is eager to watch in Tuesday's game.
"I am focusing on KL Rahul. It's his homecoming. I don't know whether he will play as a captain and whether he has a fitness issue. KL Rahul was seen playing fearlessly in the last match," he said (6:40).
"If he plays like that, which I feel he will, then Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, and whoever else, maybe Reece Topley, it is a small ground and his home ground, could be in for a phenomenal innings from KL Rahul. I am extremely eager to watch him play," the former India opener added.
Chopra noted that Rahul should bat down the order from the T20 World Cup perspective. However, he added that it's fair enough if the franchise and he himself feel that he should open, and urged him to play aggressively and make it a 600-run season.
"If he fires on this ground, he will hit the ball to Cubbon Park or Vidhana Soudha" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's Nicholas Pooran
![Nicholas Pooran played swashbuckling knocks in LSG's first two games. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/04/0f923-17120398171221-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra picked Nicholas Pooran as the second LSG player in focus.
"After that, Nicholas Pooran. He is one of the better finishers going around. If he fires on this ground, he will hit the ball to Cubbon Park or Vidhana Soudha. He is that kind of a player. He is in excellent form and it will be enjoyable if he bats slightly up the order," he reasoned (7:25).
The renowned commentator reckons Ravi Bishnoi could be LSG's key bowler against RCB's batting lineup comprising Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green.
"The third player I am picking is not Mayank Yadav. I am going with Ravi Bishnoi. When I see the opposing team, I look at spin slightly, because KGF plus one more G might get stuck a little against spin. So why not Ravi Bishnoi? He hasn't really made his presence felt in this tournament thus far. So you might see something amazing from him with the ball here," Chopra stated.
Bishnoi has picked up a solitary wicket in the Lucknow-based franchise's first two games in IPL 2024. The wrist-spinner has also proved a little expensive, conceding an average of 9.00 runs per over.