Dodda Ganesh, the former India fast bowler, criticized KL Rahul, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), for his performance in the recent match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Ganesh referred to Rahul’s innings as the “most hideous innings in the history of IPL,” after he managed to score just 18 runs off 20 balls while chasing a target of 213 in Bengaluru on Monday.
Moreover, Ganesh has raised doubts about Rahul’s intention and expressed surprise at his way of playing and persistent struggles at the top level of cricket.
“This innings from KL Rahul has to be the most hideous innings played in the history of IPL ever considering the context of the game. Man. What’s in his mind? Seriously. This can’t happen for so long at this level. It’s not school cricket,” he tweeted.
This innings from KL Rahul has to be the most hideous innings played in the history of IPL ever considering the context of the game. Man. What’s in his mind? Seriously. This can’t happen for so long at this level. It’s not school cricket #DoddaMathu #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) April 10, 2023
It is worth noting that the 30-year-old has recently faced criticism for his performance in international cricket as well. He was removed from the position of the vice-captain of India’s Test team and later left out of the squad.
Rahul’s form has been inconsistent across formats, with a match-winning 75 not out against Australia in March followed by underwhelming performances of 9 and 32. On Monday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, his innings almost cost LSG the match before Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) and Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) bailed the team out.
Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh is the second person to criticise KL Rahul for his poor form in recent times. Earlier, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad had taken to Twitter to call out the cricketer’s poor stats and alleged favouritism in Indian cricket.
Rahul, who has been a consistent performer for his team in the past, has struggled in the ongoing season, managing to score just 81 runs at an average of 20.25 and a strike rate of 100. His lacklustre performance in the recent match against Royal Challengers Bangalore has led to criticism from fans and former players alike.
Not one shot with intent from KL Rahul in the PP while chasing 213. Don’t know what’s in his mind. You simply can’t bat like this #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter #RCBvLSG
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) April 10, 2023
