"I think it is over-criticized at times" - Tom Moody on debate over KL Rahul's strike rate in IPL 2023

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody believes that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul receives unnecessary flak on a few occasions for his strike rate in T20 cricket.

Rahul scored 39 crucial runs off 32 balls in Lucknow's IPL 2023 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 19. Moody opined that the opening batter assessed the conditions well and played accordingly.

The cricketer-turned-coach also lauded Rahul's captaincy as Lucknow successfully defended a 155-run target to secure a 10-run victory over Rajasthan.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after the encounter, Moody explained:

"He has had a good day. With the bat, he assessed the conditions pretty well. He has been criticized for the pace at which he has gone about his innings but I think it is over-criticized at times. From a captaincy point of view, he made the right plays with regard to the bowling changes."

Rahul has performed decently with the bat so far in this year's cash-rich league. The star batter has amassed 194 runs from six outings at an average of 194. However, he has an ordinary strike rate of 114.79, which has irked many fans and experts.

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"He used his experience there and bowled really well" - Tom Moody on LSG all-rounder Marcus Stoinis

During the discussion, Tom Moody also reserved high praise for LSG's Marcus Stoinis. He noted that the all-rounder did a wonderful job with the ball, hitting the right line and length consistently.

The right-arm medium pacer conceded 28 runs from his full quota of four overs while picking up the crucial wickets of the well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler.

Lauding Stonis for his tidy spell, Moody said:

"I think he [Marcus Stoinis] was fit to bowl, but just wasn't required. What he did do well is bowl dead straight, and that's exactly what you need to do on a surface like that which offers a little bit of inconsistency with its pace and bounce.

"If you're looking to bowl at the top of the stumps every single ball, it's hard work for any batter to force the play from that position. He used his experience there and bowled really well."

It is worth mentioning that Stoinis also chipped in with a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 21 runs. He was named the Player of the Match for his impressive all-round performance.