Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) assistant coach Lance Klusener has minimized concerns about a potential rift between franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain KL Rahul. The pair was observed having a spirited discussion after the team’s 10-wicket loss to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday, May 8.
LSG has endured consecutive heavy defeats, severely impacting their net run rate. Despite having 12 points from as many matches and remaining in the competition, their net run rate of -0.769 puts them under significant pressure.
Additionally, LSG has completed their home games for the season and faces two away matches against the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the end of the league stage.
A video of Sanjiv Goenka and KL Rahul’s on-field discussion went viral on social media, drawing criticism from fans and pundits for the owner’s public treatment of the player.
However, LSG assistant coach Lance Klusener has dismissed the incident, describing it as “a storm in a teacup,” ahead of LSG’s match against DC at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
“I don’t see any problem with some robust discussion between two cricket lovers. So for us, I guess it’s just a storm in a teacup. We love a robust discussion. I think that’s how teams get better. So, it’s not a big thing for us,” Klusener said in the pre-match press conference.
KL Rahul and LSG’s approach have been scrutinized throughout the tournament, and their situation has been further complicated by injuries and availability issues.
“He probably feels like he’s always having to rebuild” –Lance Klusener thinks losing key wickets has made KL Rahul’s season difficult
KL Rahul was left out of Team India’s T20 World Cup squad, with selectors opting for Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant. Despite this, the LSG captain has had a solid tournament, scoring 460 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of 136.09.
“KL has got his own unique style which has made him a fantastic player and respected around the world.”
“I think this IPL has been exceptionally tough for him because we’ve kept losing wickets at stages which hasn’t allowed him to kick on where he likes. He probably feels like he’s always having to rebuild,” Klusener came in defence of KL Rahul.
“I think as a batting unit around KL, we haven’t been as good as we should. It’s just been extremely tough conditions for him. That’s something we’ve chatted about as well — we’ve just kept losing wickets at tough times,” he concluded.
The upcoming match is a must-win for DC, as it is their final league game of the season.
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