"This is not a five runs per over wicket" - Matthew Hayden blasts KL Rahul and co. for conservative batting during SRH vs LSG IPL 2024 match

KL Rahul and his men recieved criticism for being too cautious with bat — KL Rahul and his men received criticism for being too cautious with the bat.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden was baffled to see the lack of intent from KL Rahul and other Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batters during their IPL 2024 fixture against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Uppal Stadium on Wednesday, May 8.

Opting to bat first, LSG scored just 166 runs which included just 27 in the powerplay. In reply, SRH openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head made an absolute mockery of the chase as the SunRisers won the game in just 9.4 overs with all 10 wickets in hand.

Speaking on air for the host broadcaster, Matthew Hayden slammed Lucknow Super Giants for their approach and claimed that they had been playing outdated cricket. He said:

"This is not a five runs per over wicket. Somebody needed to show intent. They had one of the slowest power plays. That took the innings nowhere. When the opposition team has Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, your intention should be to go at 10s and over. 160-170 will never be enough."

LSG skipper KL Rahul scored just 29 runs in his 33 balls and faced most of the criticism for his conservative approach. A partnership of 99* from just 52 balls between Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran somehow allowed Lucknow to reach 165/4.

LSG not structured well for new-age T20 cricket: Mitchell McClenaghan

Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan believes Lucknow will need a proper rebuild ahead of the next IPL season to have the kind of power needed to play the brand of ultra-aggressive cricket needed in T20s. He feels LSG will not recover from the hammering against SRH this season.

On this, McClenaghan told ESPNCricinfo:

"I think it's a blow that knocks them out of the tournament. I think they will do very very well to recuperate from this defeat. I guess the proof will be how they structure their team next year to be competitive in the new age of T20 cricket and IPL."

Lucknow Super Giants' net run rate took such a massive hit that it is -0.769 at the time of writing. They find themselves sixth in the points table and their remaining league games against the Delhi Capitals (May 14) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) seem like virtual knockouts.