IPL 2024: Brett Lee unhappy with KL Rahul’s slow approach against KKR

Former Australia cricketer Brett Lee was extremely unhappy with KL Rahul’s approach in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Ekana Stadium. Notably, chasing 236 runs, Rahul gave a very slow start to Lucknow and got out after scoring 25 runs off 21 deliveries. As per Lee, his knock put pressure on the other batters as the hosts never looked comfortable. In the end, they lost by 98 runs and moved down to fifth on the points table.

Lee mentioned that KKR openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine were terrific and believed that their partnership of 70 runs made the difference. Both Salt and Narine were aggressive right from the start, unlike LSG players, who took some time to settle down. Lee stated that KL Rahul’s run-a-ball innings did not help Lucknow and that led to their downfall.

Also Read - KL Rahul analyses LSG’s crushing defeat to KKR at Ekana

They're out of the blocks quickly, they're scoring runs - Brett Lee

“I think if you look at both opening batters from both sides, it's a complete contrast. KKR have got it right. They're out of the blocks quickly, they're scoring runs. And then you got KL Rahul on the other side, that's, you know, getting a run a ball and putting a lot of pressure on the back end. You know, we saw four games and I picked KL Rahul here, the first four games he played,” Lee said on Jio Cinema.

“His strike rate was 129, then he went to 150 and now he's come back and said, 'well, yeah, you know the bowlers have done a great job. I think there's a lot of pressure on him because he hasn't scored the runs he should be,” the former pacer added.

Also Read - How can Lucknow Super Giants qualify for playoffs after loss against KKR?

Meanwhile, Lucknow will next play Sunrisers Hyderabad, followed by matches against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians - all away from home. To qualify for the playoffs, they need to win the majority of the matches and even after that, the KL Rahul-led side may have to look forward to the results of other teams.