KL Rahul yet to get going as Quinton de Kock lands

Ask anyone in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) camp about skipper KL Rahul’s batting form and they will back him. Be it chief coach Andy Flower, fielding coach Jonty Rhodes or team mentor Gautam Gambhir.

Two of Rahul’s last three T20 internationals were fifties. And the last IPL season, LSG’s first, saw him finish as the tournament’s second highest run-getter – 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and strike rate of 135.38 with two centuries and four fifties. That should explain to an extent why the LSG team management wasn’t worried about Rahul’s form fluctuation, though mainly in Tests.

However, Rahul would want to quickly shake off his subdued start. He made eight in the first game, at home against Delhi Capitals. It didn’t hurt as fellow opener Kyle Mayers hit a 38-ball 73 and fast bowler Mark Wood captured 5/14 to ensure an easy win. But Rahul’s 18-ball 20 in Chennai on Monday night did leave LSG disadvantaged as, despite Mayers hitting a 22-ball 53, they fell short by 12 runs chasing 218.

Rahul looked in good touch, hitting two fours while raising 79 runs in 33 balls with Mayers. But his slog sweep to wide midwicket off Moeen Ali didn’t have enough juice, giving Ruturaj Gaekwad a simple catch.

Rahul’s ability to score big in T20s remains. Since his IPL debut in 2013, he has aggregated 3,917 runs in 111 matches, averaging 47.19. But as Lucknow prepare for the next match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home on Friday, the management, Rahul included, will have to decide on the opening combination.

Quinton de Kock will join the side, having returned on Tuesday after completing his South Africa duties, and is likely to take up one opener’s slot. So, what LSG do with Mayers in red-hot form, will they let him continue to open and leave two left-handers at the top of the order, or split it by pushing him to No 3 remains to be seen.

Rahul focused on other players after the Chennai loss.

“Mayers has come in with some real good form. I was watching some games West Indies played and he was smoking the ball. It's good to see him come here with the same approach. In Lucknow, he hit the ball a mile and he did the same today. It's good to see what he's done with the opportunity.”

Only four overseas players are allowed in the eleven, but leaving out Mayers is unthinkable. He can, however, be the Impact Player against SRH in place of Mark Wood, who has taken eight wickets in two games so far. LSG also can’t afford to drop Nicolas Pooran, who has been hitting the ball well, or all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who is also the sixth bowling option.