"Then you got KL Rahul on the other side" - Brett Lee questions LSG skipper's lack of intent during run-chase against KKR in IPL 2024 match

Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has expressed concerns about Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul's strike rate in IPL 2024, saying it puts too much pressure on other batters. The New South Wales lad observed how the Kolkata Knight Riders' top-order batters have been getting off the blocks quickly to give their side the required headstart.

32-year-old Rahul, who has won the Orange cap in IPL on multiple occasions, has a career strike rate of 135.04 and has maintained a strike rate of 141.03 in the ongoing edition. However, the right-handed batter struck only at 119.04 with 25 off 21 deliveries when the Super Giants were chasing 236 for victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

Speaking on JioCinema, Lee opined that Rahul is under pressure because of his underwhelming returns with the bat, saying:

"I think if you look at both opening batters from both sides, it's a complete contrast. KKR have got it right. They're out of the blocks quickly, they're scoring runs. And then you got KL Rahul on the other side, that's, you know, getting a run a ball and putting a lot of pressure on the back end."

"You know, we saw four games and I picked KL Rahul here, the first four games he played. His strike rate was 129, then he went to 150 and now he's come back and said, 'well, yeah, you know the bowlers have done a great job. I think there's a lot of pressure on him because he hasn't scored the runs he should be," Lee added.

Chasing a daunting 236, the Super Giants were nowhere in the game as Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy shared six wickets between them to bowl the hosts out for 137.

---

"Poor performance overall with bat, ball and in the field" - KL Rahul

KL Rahul. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Following the 98-run defeat, KL Rahul said at the post-match presentation that LSG bowlers failed to recover from Sunil Narine and Phil Salt's assault at the outset. He elaborated:

"It was a lot of runs to be scored in the second innings. When you are chasing a big total, you are trying to go too hard and you end up losing wickets. Just a poor performance overall. We didn't (hit our lengths on a consistent basis), just been a poor performance overall with bat, ball and in the field."

"Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, in the powerplay, we've seen how they bat and they do put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Our young bowlers couldn't handle that kind of pressure and he hit some really good shots."

The Knight Riders also surged to the top of the points table following their win.