"If he is going to open, it doesn't matter whether he keeps or not" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul heading into LSG's IPL 2024 clash vs PBKS

Aakash Chopra reckons Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul might rule himself out of contention for a place in India's T20 World Cup squad if he continues to open for the franchise in IPL 2024.

LSG face the Punjab Kings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, March 30. Rahul scored a 44-ball 58 in the Lucknow-based franchise's 20-run loss in their tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra chose Rahul as one of the LSG players in focus in Saturday's game.

"The focus will once again be on KL Rahul. If you ask me personally, and you know that I like the boy, but I am thinking that if he is going to open, it doesn't matter whether he keeps or not.

"If you want to give an audition for the T20 World Cup and want to use this as a platform, you will have to bat down the order but Rahul is not doing that," he reasoned (1:05).

The former India opener urged the stylish batter to bring his explosive game to the game irrespective of his batting position.

"If Rahul is going to bat at the top only, from that game point of view and a 600-run season point of view, the focus will once again be on him because he is the captain and it will be better if he scores runs.

"The team needs him to finish games. If KL Rahul realizes his potential, he is a delight to watch, and I want to see that sort of batting - absolutely destructive," Chopra stated.

Rahul is potentially competing with the likes of Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel for the wicketkeeper-batter's position in India's T20 World Cup squad.

However, the glovemen in contention might have to showcase their skills as middle-order batters in IPL 2024, as the Men in Blue don't seem to have a vacant place in the top order.

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"He will play a huge role in how far Lucknow can reach and whether they will qualify in the top four or not" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's Nicholas Pooran

Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 64 off 41 deliveries against RR. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra picked Nicholas Pooran as the second LSG player to watch out for against PBKS.

"The second player I am picking is Nicholas Pooran. Generally, I pick players who haven't done anything in the last match, but the form Nicholas Pooran is in and the power and ability he has, he will play a huge role in how far Lucknow can reach and whether they will qualify in the top four or not," he reasoned (2:10).

The cricketer-turned-commentator chose Naveen-ul-Haq as the LSG bowler in focus heading into Saturday's game.

"I will go towards Naveen-ul-Haq as the third player. If I remember correctly, this pitch had bounce, pace and slight sideways movement when the India-England World Cup match happened, and David Willey dismissed our three players at the start.

"If it's a similar type of pitch, the focus will be whether you can put an early dent just like you dismissed Buttler in the last match," he explained.

Chopra noted that Naveen will be equally important in the death overs. He added that there will be greater focus on the Afghan seamer's death bowling, as Mohsin Khan is doing a good job at the start.