‘Had Punjab lost the game, who should have been held accountable?’ – Virender Sehwag not happy with KL Rahul’s knock against KKR

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag wasn’t happy with KL Rahul’s knock despite the Punjab Kings’ skipper getting the Player of the Match award against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. On October 1, Rahul notched 67 runs off 49 balls with nine fours and one six, helping the Kings to a five-wicket win versus Eoin Morgan’s men.

However, Sehwag felt that Rahul’s didn’t enact his role with precision. The Nawab of Najafgarh mentioned that the PBKS captain should be stayed until the very end and take his team over the finishing line. The veteran didn’t mince any words in saying that Rahul should have been held accounted had Punjab faltered at the finishing line after being in a position. of comfort.

Virender Sehwag shares his views

“I don’t think he did his job with perfection. With around 46 runs needed off 42 balls had he stayed not out and hit the winning shot, I would have agreed that he played his role well,” Sehwag was quoted as saying on Cricbuzz.

“If Shahrukh Khan’s catch was taken after Rahul got out, had Punjab lost the game, who should have been held accountable? We would’ve blamed Rahul for taking the match into the last over. Even today, he got out before winning the match for his team,” he stated.

In the last over, Rahul perished to Venkatesh Iyer while trying to go for a big shot down the ground. Prior to that, he got a reprieve when the third umpire deemed Rahul Tripathi’s catch in the deep illegitimate. Sehwag also said that Rahul could’ve rotated the strike to score the remaining runs in the last over.

“If you need five off six balls, you should pick five singles to chase the target. What’s the need to go for a six? Had he stayed unbeaten, I would have said he played a captain’s knock. No matter his mates and team management praise him, I’m not happy with how he played,” Sehwag added.

With three runs needed off four balls, Shahrukh smashed Iyer for a six on the leg side, to secure Punjab their fifth win in IPL 2021.