LSG vs MI: KL Rahul, Lucknow’s Captain, Targets T20 World Cup Selection

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are getting ready to face off against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 48 of IPL 2024 at Ekana Stadium on April 30. KL Rahul, aiming for a spot in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, played a solid innings of 76 runs off 48 balls in the last match, but unfortunately, LSG lost by seven wickets. On the other hand, Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, delivered a match-winning performance with an unbeaten 71 runs off 33 balls.

There’s been talk about Rahul’s slow start in T20 cricket, especially in IPL matches. However, this season, he’s shown improvement, scoring 378 runs at a strike rate of 144.27. But his strike rate still lags behind Rishabh Pant (160.60) and Sanju Samson (161.08).

Pant’s strong return and Samson’s impactful performances have bolstered their chances for the World Cup selection. To boost his own prospects, Rahul needs to be more aggressive on the field, making the most of fielding restrictions.

LSG faced a setback against Rajasthan Royals, who comfortably chased down a target of 197 runs. Now, LSG is counting on big-hitters like Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, and Nicholas Pooran to secure a win, especially against a struggling Mumbai bowling lineup.

Mumbai Indians find themselves in a precarious position, sitting at ninth place on the points table. They must win all their matches to stay in contention. Led by Rohit Sharma, they need consistent performances, particularly from players like Suryakumar Yadav, to prepare adequately for the World Cup.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has had a mixed season with both bat and ball. While he’s shown signs of improvement lately, he needs to step up further to cement his place in the World Cup squad.

Mumbai Indians Squads: Harvik Desai, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Luke Wood, Nuwan Thushara, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Shivalik Sharma, Shreyas Gopal, Manimaran Siddharth, Kwena Maphaka, Nicholas Pooran, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shams Mulani, Akash Madhwal, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Kumar Kartikeya, Anshul Kamboj, Nehal Wadhera, and Piyush Chawla.

Lucknow Super Giants: Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Amit Mishra, Krishnappa Gowtham, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohsin Khan, Quinton de Kock, Prerak Mankad, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Mayank Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph, Naveen-ul-Haq, Arshad Khan, Ashton Turner, KL Rahul (c & wk), Matt Henry, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Yudhvir Singh Charak.

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