Strike Rates are very, very overrated: KL Rahul
Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul, whose strike rate in this year’s IPL has been a matter of scrutiny despite the opener currently being the orange cap holder, insisted that numbers can often be misleading at times. He also stated that strike rate is an overrated matter and it is about how he can win games for his side.
Rahul said the following after the game, “Strike-rates are very, very overrated. For me, it’s only about how I can win games for my team. And if on a certain day I think a strike-rate of 120 can win the game for my team, I will do that. This is how I bat and I would like to take responsibility as a leader. We all make mistakes, I’m not saying I have not made a few mistakes but you learn each day as a leader, as a batter.
“It’s a partnership. When we are out in the middle as a batting group, every player has a role in the team and those roles can change in the middle with each game so I try to do the best I can for the team, try and assess the situation and play according to that. For me at the end of the day, I need to walk out of the ground knowing that I’ve tried to win the game.”
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Nicholas Pooran’s counter-attacking innings yesterday has been rightfully deemed as a major positive for KXIP by Rahul. Speaking on the Trinidadian’s knock, Rahul said, “The way he has been batting, even in the last season we had glimpses of how good a player he is,” Rahul pointed out. “We have been having a lot of chats. He is someone who is very keen on being a match-winner for us.
Pooran’s innings of 77 off 37 was a major positive for KXIP last night
“Until the time he was there, he gave us a lot of hope and made the opposition uncomfortable. If three or four of us with our skills can come together (we can win), we have been fielding well, we have shown a lot of heart. There are a lot of positives, the points table doesn’t suggest that. The execution can go wrong but we need to be patient with the team. We need to keep believing that we are just a few wins away and this team will start looking good.”
Rahul also had words of praise for his bowlers for their performance at the death in the SRH innings. At one stage when Jonny Bairstow and David Warner were batting, SRH were set for a score of over 230, before a Ravi Bishnoi over helped KXIP pulled things back.
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“It was great to see how the fast bowlers bowled,” said Rahul. “Even Mujeeb and Ravi bowled well. They showed a lot of heart. When you don’t get wickets in the six (PP), set batters can hit for a few boundaries and sixes. We know the way Jonny bats, he is very powerful, he can hit good balls for sixes as well. It was good to see how the bowlers kept coming back.”
Upon being asked whether 2018 U19 World Cup-winning pacer Ishan Porel can be given a go at some stage, Rahul replied, “He has been really good. He has been bowling well in the nets. He has had a great first-class season as well.
“There are some exciting guys in the line-up and one of them is Ishan. I’m sure at some point he will get a game. Arshdeep did well so it’s great to see a young Indian fast bowler who comes in and bowls well. It’s a very good sign.”