Former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) coach Tom Moody backs KL Rahul and says the team has let him down.
Tom Moody Backs KL Rahul
Moody’s comment came right after LSG’s 7 runs defeat against Gujarat Titans n April 22. LSG faced 7 runs defeat against defending champions Gujarat Titans in an unexpected way.
LSG were in need of 12 runs in the final over where the team lost 4 wickets in four deliveries including KL Rahul’s dismissal. The back-to-back wickets led LSG to lost the match by a close call.
Mohit Sharma bowled the final over where he dismissed KL Rahul in the 2nd delivery and went on to dismiss Stoinis in the following delivery. In the 4th and 5th delivery of the over, Ayush Badoni and Hooda lost their wickets via runouts.
Though KL Rahul scored a half-century in the match, he received tons of criticism regarding his strike rate. Chasing a total of 136, Rahul (68 off 61), along with opening partner Kyle Mayers, provided an ideal start to LSG, adding 55 runs for the opening wicket.
KL Rahul made a slow start in the chasing and went on to create an unwanted history in the IPL by becoming the first opener in IPL history to play out two first-over maidens in consecutive innings.
“I don’t think any blame is on KL Rahul. I think the team has let him down. He and Kyle Mayers, at the top of the order, set the ideal platform to chase the target down. Whether Krunal Pandya should have come at No. 3 or not, still his contribution was adequate after that start. The rest of the team, and the way it was structured, as in the strategy around the batting order, was the difference,” Moody said during a discussion on a sports media.
LSG who currently holds the 3rd spot in the IPL 2023 Points table will play their next game against Punjab Kings on April 28 in Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.
