"When KL Rahul was the captain of Punjab Kings, he seemed to be preoccupied" - Sunil Gavaskar

KL Rahul will lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently spoke of the player's captaincy stint with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the previous seasons of the competition.

Speaking on Star Sports' show Game Plan, Gavaskar reckoned that Rahul appeared to be preoccupied while at the helm of the Punjab-based franchise. He even suggested that the keeper-batter might not have been getting his preferred playing XI during his time with PBKS.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the player can reach greater heights in his career if he is able to perform and take Lucknow forward in this year's league. He said:

"When he was the captain of Punjab Kings, he seemed to be preoccupied, maybe he was not getting the 11 that he wanted. The new franchise Lucknow Super Giants is going to be a different challenge for KL and if he can bat the way he did in previous seasons and take the team to the knockouts if not actually the finals, then he would have taken a big step forward as far as his own cricketing career is concerned."

Meanwhile, KL Rahul's record as skipper in the tournament has not been flattering. He has 11 wins to his name as captain from 27 matches so far. The right-hander, however, has been one of the top performers with the bat. He has amassed 3273 runs in 94 matches at an impressive average of 47.43.

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"KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock's right-hand and left-hand combination makes a devastating opening pair" - Sunil Gavaskar

KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock are expected to be LSG's openers for IPL 2022. Gavaskar feels that the two have the ability to provide their IPL team with a flying start at the top. He added that de Kock will play a major role in the team building process for the franchise.

Gavaskar said:

"The best part about Quinton de Kock is the fact that he also has captaincy experience. He has been a captain of South Africa and knows all formats of the game. He knows what team building is all about because we are talking about a different team now. He will be very keen to contribute towards the team building process.

"KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock's right-hand and left-hand combination makes a devastating opening pair and they can get the team off to a flying start."

According to the IPL 2022 schedule, the Lucknow Super Giants will take on the Gujarat Titans tonight at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in their inaugural match of the season. Fans can catch the live action of the game from 7:30 PM (IST) onwards on the Star Sports Network.