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.