Blitzkrieg from the 'defense' minister - Selectors, check your inbox, KL Rahul finally gets the memo on new-age T20 batting

Shortly after Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) inspiring 33-run win over the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), KL Rahul was asked to be India's defense minister as part of a light-hearted social media reel. Rahul's sole dialogue in that 15-second video was, "Ab tu bhi mera strike rate ka mazaak udaayega?" (Even you will make fun of my strike rate now?).

In that clash against GT at home, he had scored a tepid 33 runs off 31 deliveries. But with a couple of brisk cameos in the subsequent matches against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) followed by a match-winning 82 runs off 53 balls at a strike rate of 154.72 on a tricky surface against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is strike rate really part of the problem now? A problem worth discussing and dissecting?

Rahul's innings required a one-handed stunner by Ravindra Jadeja to bring it to a halt, that is how invincible and at ease the LSG skipper was over the course of his innings. His approach encompassing anchoring, accelerating, and authority, was a spectacle to behold and more importantly a stern reminder to the selectors as to what he is capable of at his peak.

Yes, the sample size is less for now. Yes, it just may just be a one-off spark. But is that worth not celebrating and not being considered as better and bigger things to come?

It's almost like he is acting on cue, given the importance that the sport places on 'peaking at the right time'. With the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal all faltering at the moment, Rahul is slowly making his case as an underdog for the opening slot in the Indian playing XI at the 2024 T20 World Cup, and why not? He has pounced at the right time, and as a player who has made a comeback or two in the past across formats, knows exactly how it is done.

He's got class and experience, two valued traits in a mega tournament. With the remaining concerns like form and approach on the path to being mended, Rahul has as good a chance as anybody to be in that team.

Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist had recently remarked that Rahul should focus on winning the IPL over the T20 World Cup squad. The way he has batted today, and the manner with which LSG humbled CSK, Rahul might say, why not both?

KL Rahul is now placed in the top tier in the Orange Cap list after scoring 286 runs in seven matches (with a more-than-respectable strike rate of 143 for the season), and LSG are quite well placed in the points table too, getting some breathing room from the typical mid-table log jam.

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KL Rahul battling the unknown in terms of conditions in the IPL, just like India will at the 2024 T20 World Cup

"The pitches have been relaid here. Each time you play, it can be different," that is the last thing you want the home team captain to say and the last thing an opening batter wants to hear. KL Rahul was both in this particular scenario.

Before the win over CSK, LSG's highest chase at the Ekana was 122. The KL Rahul-led side have not truly felt at home till now, especially while batting second, primarily due to the tricky and shifting conditions on a game-to-game basis.

Rahul converting his start and playing a vintage knock was crucial, but what was more crucial was that his efforts came at the Ekana. Although two-paced surfaces have been a common sight in the IPL this season, none have been more common than at LSG's home venue.

The large boundaries and the sluggish unpredictable wickets make it stand out like a sore thumb when compared to the other pitches that aid the so-called 'modern' T20 game. At one point during the contest, a poll question flashed, which asked whether the 300-run score would be breached in this season's IPL. The very fact that the question was shown during a contest at the Ekana was laughable if you are a fan of irony.

However, the Ekana is not at all in the wrong for being different from the rest. In fact, the surface bears the most resemblance to the ones India may come up against in the Caribbean during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Slow and low surfaces have been common in the Caribbean islands, and it is not among the places where the ball comes beautifully onto the bat throughout the match. It is also to be noted that the majority of Team India's World Cup campaign will be in the United States of America, a region where all teams come in blindfolded, as the conditions will remain a mystery, at least until the tournament begins.

Even though the shortest format has more or less abolished and boycotted the anchor role, quite brutally that too, the role might still have one last huge flicker before being extinguished.

Conditions play a huge part in the team selection, and India's recent selections have been aligned with that school of thought. Now, are there places for both KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in the new-day Team India playing XI? That is a question that does not need answering for now since it is being asked too soon.

Rahul did have the advantage of batting second when the conditions had eased up a bit, catalyzed by the dew's onset. But, 177 was considered a tricky ask during the mid-innings break, especially when CSK were reeling at 115-5 after 16.2 overs. After being bolstered by MS Dhoni's familiar finishing act, nearly all of the momentum was with CSK.

Rahul played smart cricket during the run chase and made the most of the new ball, a phase where it was coming on quite well. When the spinners came on, Rahul took his time, negotiated the threat by Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja, and switched gears after feeling confident enough. He did all of this while ensuring that the required rate was well within reach.

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KL Rahul truly turned the clock back with his performance in the powerplay

Not sure if turning the clock back is the right expression for revisiting something that is not quite old, but it sure felt that way. Roughly six years ago, Rahul had slammed IPL's then-fastest fifty inside the powerplay, and it was just the start of one of the greatest individual campaigns by an opening batter in the competition.

KL Rahul's inherent association with anchoring, triggered by social media, of course, cost him his spot in the T20 squad. Much like several Indian senior players, that infamous 10-wicket defeat to England in the 2022 WC semis remains his last outing in the format.

A career strike rate of 127.85 in the powerplay is no less than a cardinal sin in this age, irrespective of the conditions and the bowling attack. He has ramped up that number to 154 in this edition so far, suggesting that he is definitely on the right route.

Rahul hit six boundaries in the powerplay against CSK. He had recently hit five boundaries against DC. Rahul being among the boundaries in the fielding restriction phase was no news, a few years back. However, now it feels like witnessing an animal out of hibernation.

Furthermore, one of the biggest concerns that fans and pundits had was his lack of boundaries and not making the most of the fielding restrictions.

But, the shades of the old KL Rahul were on show yet again as he managed to score six boundaries in the powerplay only for the second time since 2020.

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LSG tangled CSK in their own web

A sea of yellow, a sluggish pitch, a left-arm spinner trying to control in the middle overs. A familiar script, right? But here's a twist, this time around, it was CSK that were on the receiving end.

CSK were so trapped at one point that it would have put a claustrophobic room to shame. The web was laid out intricately, everything went according to plan as CSK were reeling at 115-6 after 16.2 and had even used up their impact sub. LSG had managed to keep Dube quiet and keep CSK off the bay for a considerable while.

So much so that there were no boundaries for 34 balls in the middle overs. As far as the middle phase is considered in a nutshell, the visitors scored just 62 runs from the seventh over to the 16th over while losing three wickets.

SRH had recently shown how CSK are not invincible on sluggish surfaces, and LSG took a leaf out of that book to produce a similar masterclass.

The nature of the win, coupled with KL Rahul's brilliant knock boosts LSG's confidence as they avoided their third successive loss, which would have been the first in the franchise's history.

LSG's team anthem is a slight variation of Neil Diamond's famous 'Sweet Caroline', often played at various sporting events in the USA, UK, and Canada. The LSG squad often roars the famous lyrics in unison in the dressing room, which goes as follows - 'Sweet Super Giants, ta ta ta, good times never seemed so good."

Returning to winning ways, good times may just get even better, especially with a prime KL Rahul, a returning Mayank Yadav, and a Chepauk challenge awaiting them.