'Those injuries and guys that went away really dented us' - KL Rahul reflects on LSG's failure to make it to IPL 2024 playoff
After two consecutive playoff berths in 2022 and 2023, LSG fell short this season, finishing with seven wins and as many losses in IPL 2024.
With back-to-back third-place finishes in their first couple of seasons in the Indian Premier League, expectations were higher for the Lucknow Super Giants than their eventual sixth-place standing. Despite triumphing by 18 runs against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Match 67 of IPL 2024, they could only claim the sixth spot. With a net run rate of -0.667, the second-lowest in the league this season, they found themselves below the Chennai Super Kings (who have a game in hand) and the Delhi Capitals, even though being level on points with both franchises for the time being.
At the post-match conference, skipper of LSG, KL Rahul, delved into his thoughts on LSG's season and how it evolved. He mentioned that at the start of the season, he believed his squad was a solid team with well-rounded competencies, covering most bases. However, he pointed out that injuries to tearaway speedster Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan, along with the pre-tournament withdrawal of English pacers Mark Wood and David Willey due to personal reasons, proved to be significant setbacks to the squad's composition.
"At the beginning of the season, I really felt that we had a strong team and had most bases covered. [We had] a couple of injuries obviously, which happens every season to every team, but those injuries and the guys that went away really dented us a little bit," said Rahul after the MI vs LSG match.
Suggesting particular matches like the DC-LSG encounter and the KKR-LSG clash, Rahul expressed that the team failed to synchronize effectively, with instances where bowlers excelled but the batsmen faltered, and vice-versa, respectively. This inconsistency ultimately undermined their quest for a playoff spot, as they squandered a few matches from advantageous positions, which is a true attestation to cricket being a team sport.
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