Lucknow coach defends Sanjeev Goenka discussion with KL Rahul says, “That’s how teams get better”
Lucknow Super Giants find themselves in the middle of controversy after a video surfaced online showing a heated exchange between the owner of the franchise Sanjiv Goenka and captain KL Rahul after their loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. This public outburst sparked rumors about the future of Rahul with the team raising questions about team morale and leadership.
Assistant coach Lance Klusener attempted to calm the storm during a pre-match press conference. He downplayed the incident calling it a “robust discussion between two cricket lovers” and a mere “storm in a teacup.” Klusener emphasized the importance of open communication within the team framing the exchange as a way to facilitate improvement.
This incident added another layer of pressure to Rahul who was recently snubbed from the T20 World Cup Squad for team India. His performance in the ongoing season of Indian Premier League has been underwhelming. While he has managed 460 runs as the opener of LSG his strike rate of 136.09 falls short of expectations. Critics say this sluggish approach has hampered the batting potential of Lucknowsupergiants.
However Klusener defended Rahul. He Acknowledged the unique style of Rahul and his international reputation. He attributed the struggle of Rahul to the team’s overall batting fragility. He explained we have kept losing wickets at stages which has not allowed him to kick on. Klusener highlighted the lack of support from the middle order forcing captain Rahul into a constant rebuilding mode.