On KL Rahul's Criticism, Gautam Gambhir's Stern 'Masala' Taunt At 'Ex-Cricketers'

20.03.2023 - 12:45 sports.ndtv.com

Touted as one of the finest batters in Indian cricket at present, KL Rahul hasn't had things going his way for a long time. The opening batter lost his place in the Indian Test team during the Australia series and question marks remain over his place in the team in other formats too.

Over the last few months, Rahul has also seen himself being severely criticised by a few former players, especially Venkatesh Prasad.

When Gautam Gambhir was asked if Rahul will be ‘under pressure' at the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, he brushed aside the talk.

Gambhir, who is Rahul's mentor at his franchise Lucknow Super Giants, doesn't feel the player would be under any kind of pressure as he has done wonders in the T20 league over the last few years. "What kind of pressure?

cricket Lucknow Super Giants on Gautam Gambhir Kl Rahul Australia India

Australia legend Ricky Ponting believes India will have space for both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan in their World Cup squad, adding that Kishan appears to be a necessary option given he is a left-handed batter. There was speculation about who'd take gloves for Team India after star keeper Rishabh Pant's unfortunate accident ruled him out of cricketing action for several months. "Look, I do think they'll stick with him. I think in their World Cup squad, KL will definitely be there," Ponting said in the latest episode of ICC Review.

IPL 2023: Gautam Gambhir Trends On Twitter As MS Dhoni's CSK Beat KL Rahul's LSG In Chepauk

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) returned to Chepauk after a long hiatus, with MS Dhoni's side putting on a show in front of their home fans, beating KL Rahul's Lucknow Super Giants by 12 runs on Monday. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway led the scoring charts for the hosts while Dhoni himself also hit twin sixes in two balls before being dismissed while going for the third. However, after CSK emerged triumphant, the mentor of the Lucknow franchise, Gautam Gambhir, became a talking point on social media.

Focus On Mitchell Marsh As Delhi Capitals Look To Corner Under-Pressure KL Rahul's Lucknow Super Giants

Mitchell Marsh's brute power with the willow will be Delhi Capitals' lethal weapon as they brace up for life without Rishabh Pant while starting their Indian Premier League campaign against Lucknow Super Giants, at the Ekana Sports City on Saturday. LSG, who will be playing at home for the first time, is an equally beleaguered outfit if not more, with skipper KL Rahul going through the toughest phase of his career and has been on a downward spiral for quite some time now.

"If He Doesn't Score Runs": Ex-India Star's Warning For KL Rahul Ahead Of IPL 2023

Former India cricketer Akash Chopra has lauded Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul ahead of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. While predicting that Rahul will be the team's highest run scorer in IPL 2023, Chopra added that it would be an issue if the right-handed batter fails to contribute with the bat. He was the highest run scorer of LSG in the side's maiden IPL season in 2023, while overall, Rahul was the second on the list being only behind Rajasthan Royals and England star Jos Buttler.

From KL Rahul To Adam Gilchrist: Batters With Fastest Half-Centuries In IPL History

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has arrived. A total of 10 teams will square off in the 2-month-long tournament, hoping to get their hands on the elusive trophy at the end of the campaign. When it comes to the T20 format, the format is considered batter-centric, with players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, David Warner, KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, etc. piling up mountains of runs to help their teams win matches. Over the years, some blazing half-centuries have been scored in the tournament, with the fastest being registered by KL Rahul and Pat Cummins jointly, in 14 balls each.

Kyle Mayers Or Deepak Hooda Likely To Open With KL Rahul In Lucknow Super Giant's First Two Games

In absence of Quinton de Kock, either West Indies southpaw Kyle Mayers or the flamboyant Deepak Hooda is likely to open the innings with skipper KL Rahul during Lucknow Super Giants' first two games in this edition of the IPL. With the South African team playing two ICC World Cup qualifier 50-over games against the Netherlands on March 31 and April 2, none of their top players will be available for their respective IPL sides in the first couple of games.