When KL Rahul was not seen at the toss during the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) match against Punjab Kings, everyone thought he might not play at all. However, he was named in the playing 11 and was later substituted by impact player Naveen-ul-Haq.

Will the LSG skipper captain the Lucknow side in their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday, April 2, or will he come in and play the role of impact player only? Or will he not be part of the LSG playing 11 at all? All three possibilities have kept the Lucknow fans thinking.

 

IPL 2024: What is the Status of KL Rahul’s Fitness?

RCB vs LSG: What Did Nicholas Pooran Say About KL Rahul’s Availability?

“We’ll see how he goes at training,” were the words of Nicholas Pooran, who stood in for Rahul as the skipper of the LSG in the match against Punjab.

 

Pooran further said that he got the support of others while KL was not on the field. “Our senior players came together and assisted me in making decisions as well. Sometimes when your captain isn’t available, all the senior players stand up,” he said.

IPL 2024: Rahul’s Absence in Captaincy Related to Impact Player Rule?

In another version, a leading Indian newspaper reported that Rahul was very fit and it was due to the impact player ploy that he was being kept off the field and Pooran was allowed to captain the side.

Reasoning out his assumption the source said that because Rahul is the only player who is coming off an injury and not better in the outfield when compared to the likes of Pooran and Devdutt Padikkal, he is being substituted when Lucknow are fielding.

Since Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, and Krunal Pandya can bowl, they cannot be substituted and with Rahul being substituted, it gives Lucknow an extra bowling option. The source credited coach Langer for this decision-making, saying that he is looking to make optimum utilisation of all resources.

First Published: Apr 01 2024 | 10:57 PM IST