RR vs LSG: Did Kevin Pietersen really call KL Rahul’s batting ‘boring’ in powerplay? Here’s the truth

Lucknow Super Giants literally got out ot the jail against Rajasthan Royals squeezing runs in the second half of the innings while defending a modest total of 154 runs. The Royals missed a trick and ended up 10 runs short in the chase. It was the first game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur and it all started very slowly after the Royals skipper opted to bowl. LSG openers KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers started off very cautiously scoring 37 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. Perhaps, the LSG skipper Rahul played out a maiden to start the innings off Trent Boult.

This is when the commentators on air, Nick Knight, Kevin Pietersen and Pommie MBangwa started the discussion on the way the game has been changing nowadays. Pietersen was of the opinion that teams at times, don’t mind their players getting out early for a duck or for single digits in a bid to attack the opposition bowlers. He also questioned if KL Rahul’s game is suited to such an approach in a T20 game when he was batting only on 2 runs off 7 balls. 

“Teams sometimes don’t mind people getting out on 0. They don;t mind occassional 2s as long as they are going out there and scoring at 200 or 300 strike rate. That’s the way the game is. Is the game suited for KL Rahul and the way that he plays,” Pietersen said during the second over of the innings.

The discussion continued in the following overs as well and it eventually came down to showing intent with the ball skidding on the Jaipur pitch. Kevin Pietersen highlighted that it eventually comes down to the batters how they want to play and it was during this time that he stated that playing shots while standing in the crease is boring. “But again, standing in the crease, playing from the crease, it’s boring,” Pietersen said during the 4th over of the innings when KL Rahul took a risky single.

It cannot be directly implied that the former England cricketer called KL Rahul’s batting boring. The quote that has gone viral on social media states “Watching KL Rahul bat in the powerplays is the most boring thing I have ever been through.” This quote doesn’t seem to be true as he hasn’t said it directly and it also cannot be said that he said it for KL Rahul as Mayers was batting on 8 off 12 at the same time as well.

Eventually, Rahul got out after scoring 39 runs off 32 deliveries with four fours and a 103-metre six to his name as LSG posted only 154 runs in their 20 overs despite an 82-run opening stand.

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