'Slide Will Continue': Australia Legend 'Calls Out' KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants After Brutal Thrashing in Hyderabad

Lucknow Super Giants batted first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2024 clash on Wednesday night and crawled to 27/2 in the Powerplay. They recovered and posted 165/4, giving an impression they had done a good job on a tricky surface.

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma threw those assumptions out of the window. The duo ransacked LSG for 107 runs in the first six overs itself and didn’t stop hunting despite the fielding restrictions lifted.

SRH blazed away to the target in mere 9.4 overs, a chase that lasted 45 minutes.

Australia batting legend Matthew Hayden wasn’t happy with LSG’s approach with the bat and he ‘called them out’ for their slow scoring rate, especially against a side that has been breaking batting records this season for fun.

“I have to call them (LSG) out,” Hayden said on air.  “This is not a five runs per over wicket. Somebody needed to show intent. They had one of the slowest Powerplays. That took the innings nowhere. When the opposition team has Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, your intention should be to go at 10s and over. 160-170 will never be enough.”

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After LSG succumbed to their sixth defeat of the competition, Mike Hesson said their season is as good as over.

“I think yes,” Hesson said on JioCinema while replying to query on if LSG will not qualify for the playoffs. “With Mayank Yadav missing, they don’t really have that X-factor in their bowling. Even Mohsin Khan didn’t play today. Ravi Bishnoi hasn’t been at his best this IPL. So their bowling attack doesn’t look threatening. Their slide will continue.”

LSG will next take on Delhi Capitals after a break of five days, hoping to not avoid the fate of Mumbai Indians – the first team to crash out of the playoffs race in IPL 2024.

LSG made their IPL debut in 2022 and made it to the playoffs under the captaincy of Rahul. LSG ensured a top-four finish last season as well even though they missed the services of Rahul for the majority of the competition due to an injury with Krunal Pandya leading the side in his absence.