Hard work has paid off says LSG star Rahul after eight-wicket win over CSK

Lucknow Super Giants’ captain KL Rahul hit a match-winning 82. – AFP

KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock brilliantly paced Lucknow Super Giants’ chase to beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets with an over to spare in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Rahul’s and De Kock’s opening partnership of 134 runs set up Lucknow to reach 180-2 in reply to Chennai’s 176-6 and win by eight wickets.

Both teams have four wins from seven games, but despite the defeat Chennai is third and Lucknow fifth on net run rate.

Rahul, who won the Player of the Match award, said: “Feels good at the end of the day, When you win, looks like you make all the decisions right

“We spend time doing homework on tactics and strategy and we spoke about them not settling against one style of bowling,” he added. “We worked really hard at training, good to see the team sticking to that.”

Commenting on the return match when Lucknow and Chennai face off again on Tuesday, May 21, at the M. A. Chidambaram. Stadium in Chennai Rahul said: “I don’t think the crowd in Chennai will roar for us. I told the boys in the huddle to get used to the crowd cheering for CSK because we would get it again in a few days.

“Looking forward to playing CSK again.”

Ruturaj Gaikwad, responded: “Slightly difficult (conditions) to bat but with the Impact Player rule you need an extra batter. With dew coming on later, (we) felt 180-190 could have been good.

“(Bowling in the powerplay) is one area we like to improve, puts the opposition on the back foot if we can get wickets in the powerplay.

“Good to play them again soon, will come back with homework done.”

Rahul scored 82 off 53 balls with nine fours and three sixes. He was out with only 16 runs needed. De Kock scored 54 off 43 balls and fell in the 15th over.

They made full use of the power play, plundering 54 runs in the first six overs. Their partnership reached 100 off only 65 balls.

De Kock reached 50 off 41 balls, hitting five fours and a six before he was caught behind off Mustafizur Rahman.

It was a poor bowling display from Chennai, however. The spinners were not able to exploit a slow-paced track, partly owing to the dewy conditions.

Rahul stroked his way to a 31-ball half-century before he fell before the finish line. But the promoted Nicholas Pooran finished off Lucknow’s first win in three games with an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls.

176/6 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 57 no.o, Ajinkya Rahane 36 n.o,, Moeen Ali 30; Krunal Pandya 2/16) lost to Giants: 180/2 in 19 overs (KL Rahul 82, Quinton de Kock 54),

Lucknow Super Giants win by 8 wickets