KL Rahul scored a fluent 92 off 52 balls against the (GT), but he failed to lead the team to a win in the 211-run chase as the Delhi Capitals suffered a one-run defeat.
started slowly and scored 20 in the first 17 balls before shifting gears and taking a toll on the bowlers. He reached his fifty in 29 balls and held the innings together while also keeping the required rate in check. Rahul has been one of the most consistent batters in IPL history, but he often starts slow before picking up pace, something that has left the cricket world divided.
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu reflected on Rahul’s slow start and said that the Capitals want Rahul to bat deep, and the conservative start might be the strategy of the Delhi Capitals.
“Initially he was conservative, he was getting a look in. But he turned it on beautifully. And maybe that’s his role in the DC side, that’s their strategy that he needs to bat deep,” he told ESPNCricinfo.
‘It’s Just His Mindset’: Rayudu On Rahul’s Biggest Challenge
Rayudu further said that Rahul’s challenge lies in decision-making rather than batting ability.
“We all know that once he gets in, he has the game to play a boundary shot against any delivery. That has been Rahul’s speciality over the years. It’s just his mindset, how and when he wants to do it is what his battle has always been about. Because he has the game to take on the spinners, the fast bowlers as well as every length. So the challenge is the strategy he would come out to bat with,” Rayudu said.
“Today he wanted to bat deep. He wanted to take it till the end, and he has done a fantastic job. Don’t forget he’s played a beautiful innings,” the former CSK player stated.
Rahul did not start well and scored 0 and 1 in the first two games, but he found form against GT, and it is sure to bring delight to the Capitals’ camp. DC has won two out of the first three games and will next take on Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11.