Rahul returns to his old haunt in search of good vibes – T20 IPL 2024

Big Picture: Rahul back to scene of heroics

KL Rahul needs no reminding that he holds the record for the fastest IPL half-century, which he hit in Mohali. It’s a good time to rekindle those memories as he leads Lucknow Super Giants against his former franchise, the Punjab Kings, yet again, after going down narrowly the first time the two sides met earlier this month.

Super Giants have had a few days off to reflect on a botched chase against Gujarat Titans. That Rahul took the game deep and batted through on a challenging surface, before he saw it all crumble, will hurt. But if he needs solace, Mohali should provide better value for shots which he’d be looking to feed off and play with more freedom than he did on that Lucknow slowburn.

Kings have no such issues. They’ve backed themselves to play the high-risk, high-returns game, and find themselves on the same points – eight – as Super Giants. Without designated captain Shikhar Dhawan, they’ve had an inexperienced top three that hasn’t carried the baggage of the past and have tried to play with freedom. Liam Livingstone‘s return after missing the first few games has been timely.

It’s the bowling where Super Giants have a slight edge, their variety and class likely to bring the long boundaries into play. At 40, Amit Mishra continues to roll the clock back, while his apprentice Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya have been able to keep a lid on the scoring in the middle overs.

Kings, meanwhile, have been over reliant on Arshdeep Singh, who’s delivered in crunch moments, like in the game against Mumbai Indians three nights ago. Rahul Chahar has looked off colour, while Nathan Ellis and Curran have proved expensive. If Kings can have a fully-fit Kagiso Rabada back and firing, they’ll add another dimension to an attack still trying to find its feet.

Form guide

(Last five matches, most recent first)

Punjab Kings: WLWLL (8 points from seven matches) Lucknow Super Giants: LWLWW (8 points from seven matches)

Team News: All eyes on Dhawan and Rabada

Dhawan and Rabada’s return will lend teeth to the Kings’ batting and bowling respectively. Super Giants pacer Mark Wood remains doubtful due to an illness, having last played on April 15.

Is it time for LSG to bring in Quinton de Kock?

106 votes

Yes – he’s worth a go ahead of Mayers

No – They shouldn’t try and fix something that ain’t broken

Toss and Impact Player Strategy

With Rabada set to return, it’s possible Kings will bring in Nathan Ellis as an Impact Player with the ball for Prabhsimran Singh.

Possible XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Liam Livingstone, 4 Harpreet Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Shahrukh Khan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Nathan Ellis

Super Giants don’t have a lot of reasons to tinker with their line-up. Ayush Badoni could be substituted for K Gowtham’s offspin.

Possible XII: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Krunal Pandya, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Naveen ul Haq, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Avesh Khan, 12 K Gowtham

Stats that matter: Kings openers in focus

Legspinners bowling to a left-hander a bad idea? Well, Mishra has had tremendous success against Dhawan. He has dismissed him thrice in five innings, having conceded just 39 off the 32 balls he has bowled to him in T20 cricket.
Curran has managed to keep a lid on Rahul’s scoring in T20s, having conceded less than a run-a-ball (97) over the 29 balls he’s bowled to him for one dismissal. With Curran likely to open the bowling, Rahul will need to find a way to break the shackles against him if Super Giants are to start well.
Excluding the 90-run opening stand between Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh, the Kings openers have tallied just 45 runs in six innings. Their average of 19.3 is the lowest of all the teams in the tournament. They’ve also tried out three opening pairs in seven matches.

Pitch and conditions: Look out for the dew

The previous game in Mohali was played on a slightly dry surface where Royal Challengers Bangalore found enough grip to turn the tables on Kings after threatening to post a 200-plus score. But that was an afternoon game. In the evening, the effect of dew will mean the side batting first will want a little extra cushion in their defence. Spinners could have a bigger role given the ground dimensions.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source: ESPN Crickinfo