Did KL Rahul score too slow?
The scorecard tells the story clearly enough. KL Rahul made 63 of 52 balls, scoring 7.26 runs per over, while the other Kings XI Punjab hitters made a combined 111 of 68, at 9.79. The Chennai Super Kings chased their goal of 179 with ten wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare. Rahul’s inputs clearly had a significant impact on the result.
There’s a lot of debate surrounding the anchor role in T20 cricket, and while most teams play at least one of those hitters, there were times during Rahul’s innings where he seemed to be scoring too slow even for someone who played that role. At the end of the 14th, for example, he was hitting 46 of 44 balls.
This has been a constant focus of Rahul this season. While his overall hit rate is 141.78, his hit rate in the first 30 balls of his innings is just 116.41. He is capable of destroying attacks if he stays long enough: he broke 42 in the last nine balls of his innings against the Royal Challengers Bangalore to finish with an undefeated 132 of 69, but there is always the risk that he could be sent off before the final. . to flourish.
This is what happened against the Rajasthan Royals, against whom he was 69 of 54, and it happened again today, when he was caught behind Shardul Thakur in the 18th over of the Kings XI innings. And the last round against the Royal Challengers would not have happened if Virat Kohli had not missed two catches.
As such, it seems like a risky strategy, if indeed it is what the team wants, if the Kings XI want Rahul to hit in their innings at a lower rate than he is capable of, just to make sure there is ground available later. In T20, lands in hand can simply mean wasted resources – you don’t want that with the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell on your side.
Why did Kings XI return to Chris Jordan and not choose Mujeeb Ur Rahman?
The Kings XI’s death-bowling problems have been extensively documented and debated, and there is no ready-made solution in their squad. Chris Jordan hadn’t appeared since he went for 56, including 30 in his last over, against the Delhi Capitals, but the other options Kings XI had tried since then: fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell, medium pace James Neesham’s scion, K Gowtham’s scion – it hadn’t worked either.
Jordan has more experience in death than all the other Kings XI bowlers, and has made some crucial interventions in that phase for England in particular. Returning to him was simply an admission from Kings XI that they had better rely on the most proven of the limited options at their disposal.
However, one option Kings XI has not tried so far is the Afghan mystery Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mujeeb can throw to the death, but is best known for his tight spells on the power play, a phase where Shami and Cottrell had performed excellently for Kings XI prior to this match. Bringing him in would have been an awkward fit, and Mujeeb wouldn’t have brought Kings XI the lower-order hitting ability that Jordan possesses.
Have the Super Kings found their ideal combination?
It’s too early to tell, and there will be some complaints that the Super Kings haven’t found room for Imran Tahir, one of the best white ball spinners in world cricket, but their lineup now appears to have more bases covered than it did at the start. of the season, when multiple players were unavailable for various reasons.
Shane Watson’s return to form is a huge bonus, of course, but with Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo back on the side after recovering from injury, the middle order looks healthier as well. And the Super Kings arguably hit deeper than either side of the tournament, with off-roaders Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran followed by three very capable lower-order contributors at the 9th, 10th and 11th, in Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Piyush. Chawla.
What has Watson done to get his touch back?
Watson has proven his skeptics wrong multiple times in the past, most memorably with a century left in the 2018 IPL final after a tight run during the tournament, but he is now 39 years old and there are more skeptics than ever.
As always, the Super Kings management was confident that he would be good again, and that’s what he did. What changed between the first four games of the season and this one?
For one thing, it’s been some time in between, and it’s gotten rid of the rust that nearly every player in this tournament has had to deal with, thanks to the extended Covid-19-induced hiatus in world cricket. But at the presentation ceremony, Watson revealed that he had also made a technical adjustment prior to this game, allowing him to put his head on his front leg and achieve better weight transfer through his shots.
Look at the two limits he hit against Cottrell in the third over of the Super Kings chase, over the middle width and back over the pitcher’s head. Both are perfect illustrations of Watson’s head position helping him get across the line with power and precision.
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