IPL 2023, LSG vs GT | Twitter reacts as Rashid Khan lets Kyle Mayers know who is the man with intense send-off

Gujarat Titans found it tough to get going at the Ekana Cricket Stadium as all their star performers seemed to fail against a disciplined Lucknow Super Giants unit. The side ended up with a subpar total of 135 batting first on a slow and dry track and their miseries were compounded when KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers took the charge early on in the second innings. The duo had taken the side to 53/0 by the end of the powerplay, largely courtesy of a mammoth 16-run over against arguably the best T20 spinner in the world Rashid Khan. However, skipper Hardik Pandya kept his trust in the Afghan international and offered him a chance to redeem himself by handing him the ball again for the seventh over and boy did the decision pay dividends.

Rashid started with a loose delivery but Mayers was only able to extract a single and a googly on the next ball led the strike to be handed back to the Caribbean opener. Well set on 24 off 18 balls, the explosive batter looked set for another match-winning inning but the wrist-spinner had other plans. He pitched a slightly full ball on off-stump, provoking the southpaw to attempt a huge heave in anticipation of a wrong'un. However, a wily Rashid had deceived him with the leg-spinner instead as the ball crashed into the stumps between Mayers' bat and pad.

The 24-year-old was evidently fired up and made his feelings known with an intense stare at Mayers as he walked back towards the pavilion before stabbing his finger on his chest to let the Lucknow batters and the crowd know who the main man was. Twitter was set ablaze by Khan's quiet but meaningful celebration as the Twitterati heaped praise on the all-rounder.   

That death stare

Wow

Amazing one!

What a breathrough

Something cooking

On fire!

To the rescue

Real champion

What was that!

Have everything!