"KL Rahul hasn't scored any runs till now but no one is depending on him at all" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's IPL 2023 clash against PBKS

Aakash Chopra has pointed out that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have not been hit hard by the lack of runs from KL Rahul's willow in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).

LSG will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow in the evening game on Saturday, April 15. Their skipper has aggregated just 81 runs at a run-a-ball in his four innings to date and will want to give a better account of himself in the upcoming games.

While previewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Quinton de Kock should replace Kyle Mayers in the Lucknow Super Giants' starting XI, stating:

"Lucknow has come after winning cliffhangers. KL Rahul hasn't scored any runs till now but no one is depending on him at all. I see Quinton de Kock playing in this match and Kyle Mayers sitting out."

The former Indian opener highlighted that LSG have fared well in the batting department despite Rahul and Deepak Hooda not being among the runs, elaborating:

"Marcus Stoinis has done well. Nicholas Pooran has already done well. Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul have both not done well till now but they have still won three of their four games, which means they are in a good space. Ayush Badoni is also playing well."

Chopra picked LSG's likely batting order for their clash against PBKS, saying:

"So you can see KL Rahul opening alongside Quinton de Kock. Hooda can come at No. 3 once again, Stoinis at No.4, Nicholas Pooran at No. 5 and then Ayush Badoni and Krunal Pandya, that's your batting order."

Marcus Stoinis did not have a great start to IPL 2023. However, his 30-ball 65 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore should help him retain his place in the XI, with Mayers making way for De Kock if LSG want to play the South African wicketkeeper-batter.

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"If they play on a black-soil pitch, you won't see Jaydev Unadkat" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's likely bowling attack

Mark Wood is the Lucknow Super Giants' most successful bowler. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra expects the Lucknow Super Giants to attack the Punjab Kings' batters with their spinners if the match is played on a black-soil surface. He observed:

"In bowling, if they play on a black-soil pitch, you won't see Jaydev Unadkat. You will see a plethora of spinners, which will include Ravi Bishoi and Amit Mishra. Krishnappa Gowtham could also be there because the opposition team has left-handers."

Chopra concluded by picking LSG as the likely winners in Saturday evening's game against the Punjab Kings. He reasoned that Rahul and Co. are a better-balanced unit, while PBKS are overreliant on Shikhar Dhawan in the batting department.