"Better behind closed doors": Brett Lee on animated discussion between KL Rahul, LSG owner Goenka after crushing defeat

New Delhi [India], May 9 : Former Australian pacer Brett Lee said on Thursday that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka should have held discussions with the skipper KL Rahul behind closed doors after the team was steamrolled by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) who won by 10 wickets and achieved the target in less than 10 overs.
After the match, a video from the animated discussion has been doing the rounds on the internet in which franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka is seen talking to Lucknow skipper KL Rahul near the LSG dugout.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) destroyed the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), dominating them with the new ball and then chasing the target of 166 in 9.4 overs without losing a wicket in the IPL match played on Wednesday. It was the fastest 10-over score in T20.
Speaking about the video at an event in Delhi, Lee said the conversation should have happened behind the doors.
"It gets tough as a team owner, as a captain and a coach. You try to do the best you can. When yesterday, LSG made 160-odd and SRH blew them away without losing a wicket, people are going to ask you questions. But there is a time and place. There is a place behind closed doors that would have been a better option, rather than the whole world watching. On the other side, you look at the passion of owners and coaches for their team, they want them to do well."
Though KL has helped the team win matches with his captaincy tactics, his strike rate has been under the scanner this season. In 12 matches, he has scored 460 runs at an average of 38.33 and a strike rate of just over 136, with three half-centuries. His best score is 82.
After the match, Rahul said he was at a loss for words for the Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's blitzkrieg hitting.
"Am lost for words. We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills," Rahul said.
The loss was LSG's sixth in the IPL 2024, and because of the wide margin of defeat, it damaged their net run rate as well. They are currently ranked sixth after falling below Delhi Capitals.
LSG elected to bat first after winning the toss. The visitors got to a slow start, getting just 57 runs in the first 10 overs and losing three wickets. Skipper KL Rahul played a sluggish knock of 29 in 33 balls, with a four and a six.
In the second half of the innings, Ayush Badoni (55* in 30 balls, with nine fours) and Nicholas Pooran (48* in 26 balls, with six fours and a six) turned things around with a 99-run stand and LSG had a score of 165/4 in 20 overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/12) was the top bowler for LSG. Pat Cummins also got a wicket.
In the run-chase of 166 runs, openers Travis Head (89* in 30 balls, with eight fours and eight sixes) and Abhishek Sharma (75* in 28 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) launched what seemed like a never-ending assault on LSG batters.
SRH are at number three in the table with seven wins, five losses and 14 points.