Here’ why Nicholas Pooran leading LSG against PBKS
The absence of KL Rahul looked like an injury scare for the hosts but Pooran revealed the actual reason after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) returns to Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium with the hosts, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), taking on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the match no. 11 of the ongoing season. But right before the action began, the fans were taken by surprise to see Nicholas Pooran walking out with Shikhar Dhawan for the toss on Saturday evening. The absence of KL Rahul looked like an injury scare for the hosts who are seeking their first points this season. However, Pooran – the stand-in skipper – revealed the actual reason after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
Speaking at the toss, Pooran assured that there was nothing to worry but it was a strategy to ensure Rahul got ample rest as the Indian batter returns to the IPL 2024 after an injury layoff. The West Indies batter said Rahul will participate in the game against PBKS as an ‘Impact Sub’.
“We’ll bat first. Looks like a good track, runs on the board could be vital. KL Rahul is definitely going to be here. He is an Impact Sub. He is coming back from injury and we’re looking to give him a break in such a long tournament, but he’ll play as an impact player today. Everyone must take the opportunities and perform at their best,” said Pooran at the toss.
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PBKS would have bowled first
Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan said it was a good toss to lose as they wanted to bowl first, given the dew factor at the venue.
“We would have bowled first, lots of dew when we came to the ground (last night). Our lines can be tight, while batting, we can’t afford to lose wickets in clusters. It’s still early in the tournament and we’ve spoken about that in the dressing room. We’ll have to make the most of the powerplay. No changes for us,” Dhawan said.
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Here are the playing XIs:
LSG: Quinton de Kock(w), KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran(c), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth.
PBKS: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.
