IPL 2024, RR vs LSG - 3 Things That Went Wrong For LSG

LSG failed to chase the 194-run target set by RR (IPLT20.com)

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 journey on a bittersweet note as they faced a 20-run defeat against a spirited Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday.

Opting to bat first, RR set the stage ablaze, posting a massive score of 193/4 in their 20 overs. At the helm was captain Sanju Samson, whose bat spoke volumes with an unbeaten 82 off 52 balls, a knock that included three fours and six maximums. Riyan Parag’s 29-ball 43 added significant heft to the total.

In response, LSG’s chase turned into a Herculean task right from the outset as they found themselves in dire straits at 11/3. KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran tried to salvage the innings with their half-centuries, but it wasn’t enough. RR pacers’ disciplined bowling ensured LSG fell short by 20 runs.

Several shortcomings were exposed in LSG's game plan. Here are three things that went wrong for LSG vs RR.

1. Lacking the Cutting Edge in Pace Attack

LSG pacers gave away 129 runs between them in 12 overs (IPLT20.com) 

The Lucknow Super Giants' pace battery, featuring Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Yash Thakur, found themselves in hot water as they faced the wrath of the Rajasthan Royals' batting lineup. Despite Mohsin Khan snagging a wicket and Naveen-ul-Haq pocketing two, their efforts came at a steep cost, conceding 45 and 41 runs respectively across their four-over spells.

Their deliveries occasionally strayed from their intended mark, offering the RR batters ample opportunity to pounce. Yash Thakur's day at the office was particularly grim, conceding 43 runs in a mere three overs without any wickets.

The absence of a seasoned spearhead to marshal the bowling unit was stark, rendering LSG's pace attack blunt and ineffective. The call to arms is clear: LSG must either find a talisman within their ranks or shuffle their deck, potentially turning to Shivam Mavi or Shamar Joseph to infuse some much-needed vigour into their bowling attack.

2. Inability to Tackle Swing Bowling

LSG top-order collapsed against Trent Boult & Nandre Burger's swing bowling (IPLT20.com)

Facing the music from the get-go, LSG's top order was caught in a whirlwind against the swing bowling of Trent Boult and Nandre Burger. The duo reduced LSG to 11/3 in just 3.1 overs, sending Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ayush Badoni back to the pavilion with barely a mark on the scoreboard.

With the top order blown away like chaff in the wind, the mammoth task of chasing down a target of 194 became a bridge too far. Even captain KL Rahul, known for his resistance, found himself shackled, unable to launch a counteroffensive against the swing bowling onslaught.

3. Rahul's Cautious Knock Costs Dearly

KL Rahul scored 58 off 44 balls at a strike rate of 131.82 while chasing 194 (IPLT20.com)

KL Rahul's innings was a study in perseverance amidst adversity, however, his approach was critiqued for its lack of urgency. In a situation where the ship was sinking, Rahul chose to batten down the hatches, anchoring himself at the crease with a rather slow fifty.

Yet, in the IPL, where fortunes can turn on a dime, his strike rate of 131.82 was a sticking point. The juncture demanded acceleration, a switch in gears to elevate the run chase into a tangible threat.

However, Rahul's dismissal, just when a change in tempo was most needed, effectively sounded the death knell for LSG's aspirations in the match. While chasing big totals, pacing an innings is as much an art as it is a science, and here, Rahul's calculus seemed to misfire.

His inability to pepper the stands with big hits during the middle overs left LSG's chase floundering in the deep end, illustrating a missed opportunity to seize the moment and potentially change the game's outcome.

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