Tough contest at hand as LSG batters square up against GT bowlers

GT pacer Mohd Shami and LSG skipper KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been copping a lot of flak in the media for his slow scoring rate, but as far as the Lucknow Super Giants management is concerned, they have no issue with that as long as the team keeps winning most matches and remains among the top four in the points table. LSG are placed second with eight points from six matches and a win against defending champions Gujarat Titans on Saturday will take them to the top of the table.

Rahul has scored 191 runs in six matches at a strike rate of just 115.76, an effort that has not impressed most critics. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen even went on to say that it is boring to watch Rahul bat in the Powerplay. But three overseas players, batters Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, have covered up well with their aggressive approach. Not only are they scoring consistently, but also at a very good clip. Pooran has a strike rate of 200 while the other two are in the range of 150. It's no wonder then that the team have not felt the need to introduce a player of the caliber of Quinton de Kock in the playing XI with the league stage almost halfway through. The overseas batters have also more than made up for Deepak Hooda, who has collected just 39 from six innings.

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Gujarat Titans too are suffering due to the poor form and fitness of their charismatic captain Hardik Pandya. Though statistics may not mean much in T20 cricket, Pandya's batting average of 12.25 and bowling average of 70.00, reveal that he is yet to hit top gear. The player himself and even the team management would like those averages to be the other way around. But with a lot of cricket still left in the tournament, one can presume that Pandya will regain his form and fitness in due course.

The Titans have relied on the brilliance of their two bowlers, Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan. It is largely due to their effort that the Titans are in the top half, with three wins from five games. But they need to be careful and get their act together, else they could slip down and add unnecessary pressure in the backend of the league stage.

Both teams have a good set of bowlers and the pitch at the Ekana Stadium has the reputation of being low and slow. So, it won't be surprising if yet another match, to be played under the scorching afternoon sun, goes down to the wire.

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