Haren
Going into the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants has a slim chance of qualifying for the Playoffs. However, they had to beat the hosts on the night. But what unfolded as the evening was unimaginable. Batting first LSG could manage to get 165/4 in 20 overs and the wicket seemed a little sticky contrarily when SRH batted they knocked off the total in just 9.4 overs without losing a wicket.
After the mauling LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen frustrated and was caught on camera having an animated chat with skipper KL Rahul. “Whatever happened on the field after the game wasn’t the nicest thing to be part of or something that anyone wants to see on the cricket field. So yeah, I think it did affect the entire group,” Rahul recalled speaking on Star Sports.
After the retention process had ended and Rahul was not retained by the franchise, Sanjiv Goenka, LSG’s owner, was straightforward when he revealed the reasons why their decided to retain certain players and let others go. “The first retention was an automatic choice and happened within two minutes, that is Nicholas Pooran. We had a very simple mindset to go in with players who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and aspirations,” he had said.
“The pressure is already high in the IPL. You see teams like Gujarat and CSK and all of these teams and you see even when they win or lose, they seem really balanced, the dressing room is really calm and that’s something very important to me as a player. If that happens, it gives all the players the best chance to perform. We tried that at LSG with Andy Flower and GG (Gautam Gambhir) first and then last year we had Justin Langer. We tried to create that in the changing room and I think it was a brilliant atmosphere in the changing room but sometimes you need to move away and find something good for yourself,” he added.
