IPL 2020 | Had KXIP lost the game, who would have taken blame, Rahul, Gayle or Pooran?, asks Virender Sehwag
Rahul again made a fifty
|IPL website
KXIP have made it a habit of taking even the easiest of chases to the final over as we saw in the game against RCB, which made Virender Sehwag question as to who would taken the blame, KL, Gayle or Pooran, in case of team losing. KXIP have won only two games after eight appearances in 2020 IPL.
After losing in the chase against DC with just one needed off three and 22 off 18 against KKR with nine wickets in hand, the Kings XI Punjab franchise have found ways to bottle up easiest of chases this season. And with 11 needed off 18 and a well set KL Rahul and Chris Gayle in the middle against RCB in Sharjah on Thursday, the Kings were close to being contenders for the IPL choke of the decade after playing two dots with them requiring one of three but then hard-hitting Nicholas Pooran came to their rescue as he hit a six off the final ball of the KXIP innings and finally helped KXIP cross the line
Notably, the duo of KLR and Gayle managed 10 runs in 17 deliveries after they needed 11 off last three overs, and the pressure led to mix up between the wickets with Gayle getting run-out on the penultimate delivery of the Punjab innings. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag opined that he would have liked to see KL Rahul finishing the game with an over or two remaining.
“I would have enjoyed it more if KL Rahul had finished the game one or two overs before. Because, if you are in such a good form, and there are two great batters in the middle - Chris Gayle and KL Rahul. You need 11 to win in 3 overs, so if you can finish the game two overs before, then you can increase your Net Run Rate,” Sehwag said in a video on Cricbuzz.
“If you are really thinking about winning matches, and the tournament, then you need to keep an eye on Net Run rate. There will be one stage when they might have equal points but because of poor Net Run Rate, they might not be able to proceed further in the tournament,” he added.
Sehwag applauded Rahul's batting against RCB in the first game of the two played between the two sides where he had got a century but also questioned as to who would have taken the blame had Pooran failed to help the side win the game with a six off Yuzvendra Chahal.
“So, it’s commendable that KL Rahul finished off the game against RCB, but I would have enjoyed it more had he done it by the 18th over. Because if they had lost this game, if Nicholas Pooran had got out in the final over, then who would be blamed for it - KL Rahul, Chris Gayle or Nicholas Pooran?
“If you had lost in the Super Over, then who would you be blaming? If you are the captain, and you are standing there till the 20th over, and you are in good form, then you should finish the game at least an over before," Sehwag stated.
The former KXIP mentor also added that Rahul needs to learn that anything can happen in the final over and tailor his approach accordingly.
“This is something that KL Rahul has to learn. Because in the last over, one bad move, one bad call, one good delivery, one run out - these things take place and then you lose the game,” Sehwag signed off.
