Sanjay Manjrekar slams Lucknow batter for 'slow' innings against Chennai in Indian T20 League loss

In the latest match of the Indian T20 League, Lucknow suffered their first defeat of the season against Chennai in a high-scoring encounter. Despite falling short of the target of 218 runs by just 12 runs, Lucknow made a blistering start to their run chase, with West Indies player Kyle Mayers leading the way. Mayers scored 54 runs off just 22 balls and helped Chennai to score 75 runs in the first five overs.

However, Lucknow captain KL Rahul failed to convert his start and departed for 20 runs off 18 balls, which was not ideal in a chase of 218 runs. Sanjay Manjrekar, a former India player and now a cricket commentator, criticized Rahul's batting performance in the match. Manjrekar believed that Rahul should have attacked the Chennai bowling himself instead of going into a shell after Mayers' explosive start.

Manjrekar argued that it's tough to suddenly become explosive when a batsman is already playing in one gear. He emphasized that every ball should be played on its merit, and just because the opening partner is going hard, it doesn't mean the other batsman should slow down. Manjrekar also highlighted the importance of playing aggressively in a high-scoring match like this, where the required run rate is always high.

"When Kyle Mayers batted with a strike rate of 240, KL Rahul went into a shell. Once Mayers got out, Rahul realized he had to go for the big shots and was dismissed at a strike rate of just 111," Manjrekar said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo. "It's very difficult to suddenly be explosive when you're already playing in one gear. You need to play every ball on its merit and just because the opening partner is going hard, doesn't mean you should slow down," the former Indian player added.

Lucknow's batting still decent

Despite the loss, Lucknow's batting performance in the match was commendable. The team managed to score 206 runs in their allotted 20 overs, with Mayers being the standout performer. Mayers' aggressive batting not only helped the team to make a strong start but also put pressure on the opposition bowlers. However, Lucknow's bowling was not up to the mark, as they allowed Chennai to score 218 runs in their 20 overs.

Looking ahead, Lucknow will play their next match against Hyderabad at the Ekana Stadium on Friday, April 7. The team will be looking to bounce back from their defeat against Chennai and secure a win against Hyderabad. The match promises to be a high-scoring encounter, and Lucknow will need their batsmen to fire on all cylinders to chase down any total set by their opponents.