Lucknow Super Giants' emphatic 56-run win against Punjab Kings on Friday had its foundation in the way the visiting team's batters performed in Mohali. Once KL Rahul & Co racked up a mammoth 257/5, the second highest total ever in the IPL, Lucknow controlled the game despite the home team's valiant effort in run-chase.
Knowing the importance of each game in the race to playoffs in the back-end of the season, Lucknow skipper Rahul said getting past the 250-run mark speaks highly of his batting unit.
"Happy that we got the win. Every game from now on would be very important. We had a break after the last game. We came back fresher after that," Rahul said after the match.
LSG's batting approach is becoming more and more clear with each game. Rahul plays the role of an anchor while Kyle Mayers is given the license to play his shots, then Ayush Badoni and Marcus Stoinis come in to play according to the situation, with Nicholas Pooran providing the final flourish.
"We were clear as to how to bat. When you see such wickets, you get excited as batters. Getting 250 speaks highly of how we batted. You are familiar with what you can expect. Just being familiar to wickets helps," Rahul added.
"We always talk about setting the tone at the start. We had guys like Mayers, (Marcus) Stoinis. Badoni has been batting well. (Deepak) Hooda as well. The think-tank does most of the thinking and I try to understand what they are thinking; and if it suits us, we go through with the plan," Rahul added.
Lucknow play their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at home on May 1.
(AI image)
