"Not sure he or the team thought they could win the game when he came in at No. 11" - Simon Doull on KL Rahul's batting in LSG vs RCB match
Injured Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul walked out to bat at No. 11 during the team's unsuccessful run chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday, May 1.
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Simon reckons that Rahul himself knew that he could not have won the game for his team from that position. He opined that the captain only came to the crease to ensure that LSG's net run rate didn't take a severe hit following the defeat at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz following LSG's 18-run loss, Doull said:
"I am not sure if he [KL Rahul] or the team thought they could win the game when he came in at No.11. What I do believe is that the net run rate is still going to be crucial later on in the tournament. So if Amit Mishra could hit a four or two fours, or if KL could have got one four, all of a sudden they get 12 more runs than what they were on.
"It makes a little bit of a difference to that net run rate, and every little bit counts at the back end of this tournament. I don't believe that he thought for any second that he could hit five balls out of the park and win the game for them."
Rahul, who suffered a thigh muscle injury while fielding in the game, came out to bat at No. 11 in the 19th over. However, he looked in a lot of discomfort and couldn't even run for a single.
LSG failed to chase down a 127-run total on the tricky surface, getting bundled out for a paltry score of 108.
"A massive mistake" - Simon Doull on the possibility of KL Rahul keeping wickets for India in WTC 2023 final
Team India are set to face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). The summit clash will be played at the Oval in England from June 7 to 11.
KL Rahul appeared to be one of the frontrunners for the wicketkeeper's role in the fixture, as it would increase India's batting depth. However, Simon Doull wasn't in favor of the batter donning the wicketkeeping gloves.
He argued that Rohit Sharma and Co. need their best keeper for the WTC 2023 final, pointing out that the surface at the Oval is expected to have a lot of bounce. Doull elaborated:
"I would have put that down as a massive mistake [KL Rahul] playing as keeper]. In a month and a bit's time, I could be proven completely wrong, and he might get and he might play, and I might still be proven wrong.
"The Oval surface, it's turn and bounce on the last couple of days and it bounces more than it turns. That brings Jadeja and Ashwin into the play. I mean you just need your best keeper there."
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Notably, KS Bharat is the designated wicketkeeper in India's squad for the WTC final. There is still no official statement from LSG or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding Rahul's injury and it remains to be seen if he will be able to regain full fitness ahead of the marquee clash against Australia.