‘I think the strike rate is over-rated’ – KL Rahul maintains firm stance ahead of IPL 2023

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul made a blunt assessment on ‘strike rate’ as he termed it to be ‘over-rated’ ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. As the sixteenth edition kickstarts in a few weeks, LSG unveiled their new kit for the season on Tuesday, March 7.

During the launch of their new jersey, skipper of the side, Rahul provided his take on the obsession of maintaining a prolific strike rate in the shortest format. Rahul was swift to respond to the query as he labelled it as ‘over-rated’ and further stated that the batters need to adhere to the particular scenario during the contest.

“I think the strike rate is over-rated. But it depends upon the demand, like if you chase 140, you don’t need to go with 200 strike rate. It depends upon the current situation. There are players in the team that we will encourage to play their natural game and there will certain players in the team to take the responsibility of seeing the team through. So, it is based entirely on that particular day and on that particular situation,” he said at the event.

LSG optimistic ahead of IPL 2023

Following an impressive debut in 2022, the Lucknow-based franchise is aiming to have a better season and compete for the prestigious title in the sixteenth edition. The management roped in the likes of Jaydev Unadkat, Romario Shephard, and Daniel Sams to add to their bowling depth at the auction held in December 2022.

Furthermore, the side strengthened the middle order as they splurged INR 16 crore on Nicholas Pooran at the auction table. It is worth noting that the franchise was heavily reliant on their top-order to get the runs on numerous occasions in the previous edition.

Whereas, the middle order lacked the spark required to propel the side into scoring big runs during the matches. However, with the signing of Pooran, LSG will be optimistic and could give the rival teams - a run for their money.