IPL 2022: LSG coach Andy Bichel praises KL Rahul, calls his unbeaten 103 'sublime'
Apr 25, 2022
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 25 : After the win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday, Lucknow Super Giants coach Andy Bichel said skipper KL Rahul was sublime as he smashed an unbeaten 103 against MI here at the Wankhede Stadium.
It was his second century against Mumbai Indians this season, third in Mumbai and fourth overall in the IPL.
"KL was sublime. He played well off the front foot, and opened the face of the bat when they bowled wide to him. He pulled the ball very well, into the gaps. I thought he played with the dimensions of the ground well," said Bichel.
Rahul's one-man show pushed his side to the fifth win of the season and fourth position on the points table.
Coming to the match, KL Rahul's knock of 103 and Krunal Pandya's three-wicket haul guide Lucknow Super Giants to a 36-run win against Mumbai Indians.
Rohit Sharma led Mumbai lost their eighth consecutive match of the season.
Chasing 169 for victory five-time champions Mumbai Indians got off to a steady start as Rohit Sharma batted aggressively but wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan batted cautiously as the duo scored 43 runs in six overs of powerplay.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was introduced into the attack and he dismissed Ishan Kishan in the very first ball of his spell for 8 off 20 balls with Mumbai Indians losing their first wicket for 49.
Dewald Brevis joined his captain Rohit Sharma and the duo took the team's total beyond the 50-run mark in the eighth over. In the next over Brevis was sent packing by left-arm medium-pacer Mohsin Khan for 3 and Mumbai lost their second wicket for 54.
In the next over MI was dealt with a huge blow as Krunal Pandya got the prized scalp of Rohit Sharma for 39 off 31 balls. Ayush Badoni was introduced into the attack and he got the important wicket of dangerous Suryakumar Yadav for 7 to leave Mumbai tottering at 67/4.
Mumbai Indians desperately needed a partnership and Tilak Varma and Kieron Pollard did exactly that taking the team's total beyond the triple-figure mark in 15.1 overs but the required rate kept increasing.
Mumbai Indians needed an impossible 39 runs to win off the last over of the match where Krunal Pandya dismissed Pollard for 19. One ball later Jaydev Unadkat was run out for 1 and Krunal took his third wicket of the match dismissing Daniel Sams for 3. Mumbai was restricted to 132/8 in 20 overs falling 36 runs short of the target and succumbing to their eighth defeat of the season.
