SEASON REVIEW
Follow UsWhile all eyes were on Virat Kohli in the Eliminator game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants, it was someone very special in the Challengers squad who played the best innings of his life to single-handedly power them to the second Qualifier.
There is something about the Eden Gardens that makes players achieve extraordinary things in their cricketing journey. Well, ask Harbhajan Singh about his hat-trick that bamboozled the mighty Australian batting unit, or ask Rajat Patidar, who crafted his way to a comeback that will be savoured for ages.
While there ain't any doubt that he was timing the ball to absolute perfection, it is fair to say he was helped a tad bit by the sloppy fielding efforts for the Super Giants.
In probably the biggest match of their journey in the Indian Premier League thus far, the KL Rahul-led outfit succumbed under pressure and dropped catches on the field to help the Royal Challengers Bangalore post a mammoth first innings total.
While lapses in the field were one of the significant causes of concern for the team, there were other glaring issues that came to the fore, especially in the last week of the extravaganza. With their season now done and dusted, we take a look at some of the areas that let them down in their maiden appearance in the tournament.
Threats that came true
When Lucknow Super Giants acquired the services of Manish Pandey in the auctions for 4.6 crores, most people thought they had a player at number three to play according to the situation.
However, the 32-year old failed to get going and managed to score only 88 runs in six innings at an average of 14.67, adding to the batting woes. With the lack of stability at the top of the order, Lucknow often failed to lay a solid foundation at the top.
With the onus of the side relying heavily on the shoulders of Rahul, the right-handed batter often played the role of anchoring the innings, which led to the team not being able to make optimum use of the powerplay. In the eliminator against the Challengers, Rahul's approach to the run chase was in question as he scored at a strike rate of 136.20 in pursuit of 208. There ain't any doubt he played well for his 79 off 58 deliveries but in the context of the game and its impact on the outcome of the match, his steady approach often puts pressure on the batter at the other end leading to a flurry of wickets.
Lack of clarity on the role of the players
With Gautam Gambhir and Andy Flower as part of the support staff, the Super Giants would have hoped for better communication with the players to help them understand their roles and responsibilities in the team.
While they picked Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi and Marcus Stoinis in the draft, it was surprising to witness the limited role played by the all-rounder in the competition.
Yes, they wanted Stoinis to finish matches for them, and he often walked in to bat at number seven or eight. However, for a player of his calibre and stature, it would have been ideal to utilise his skills with the team facing a middle-order muddle rather than walking in when the match is already out of reach.
To be fair, Lucknow boasted of a formidable overseas batting unit with Quinton de Kock, Stonis and Evin Lewis or Jason Holder in the mix. However, they failed to utilise the players in the right manner to gain maximum output, something which they can work on for the next season.
Jason Holder's dismal season
Ahead of the mega auctions, Jason Holder was one of the key players for West Indies in the series against England at home. The 30-year old produced an all-around performance against Eoin Morgan and his team to help the Windies overcome the scars of a dismal World Cup and seal the series.
With consistent performances at the international level making the right noises, Lucknow spent 8.75 crores on the all-arounder, aiming to lend balance to the playing XI.
While he performed well for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last season, Holder endured a season to forget. The right-arm pacer scalped 14 wickets in 12 innings but with an economy rate of 9.4 runs per over, leading to their downfall.
The team also banked on his wealth of experience and assigned him the task of bowling the powerplay to create early inroads.
However, out of the 14 wickets, he managed to pick only a solitary scalp in the field restrictions and had an average of 117, which is the worst among bowlers with a minimum of ten overs in that phase.
In the batting department, he scored 58 runs in eight innings at an average of 9.67, adding more to the existent middle-order muddle.
Silver linings
One of the finds in this edition of the league, Mohsin Khan, wreaked havoc in the powerplay with his hard lengths and his ability to move the ball both ways.
While he was drafted into the Mumbai Indians squad ahead of the 2018 season, the 23-year old failed to secure his place in the playing XI of the star-studded Mumbai outfit.
With the Super Giants picking him in the auction for his base price, Mohsin switched to his home team with renewed hope. And, boy did not impress everyone with his immaculate bowling and set the eliminator alight with a peach to dismiss Faf du Plessis in the first over.
Overall, he picked 14 wickets in nine innings and conceded at an economy rate of six runs per over, which is the second-best behind Sunil Narine among players to bowl a minimum of 20 overs in the competition.
Matches they will rue losing
In the last week of the league stage, the Super Giants looked like the firm favourites to seal the top-two spot in the points table, allowing them two opportunities to reach the final.
However, they stumbled against the Titans and Rajasthan Royals, losing two out of their last three matches, which dented their chances of finishing second.
While they lost both their games by a considerable margin, one of the matches they would have hoped to cross the line was against the Royals in their first clash between the two sides at the Wankhede Stadium.
Well, you guessed it right, the match is famous for Ravichandran Ashwin's tactic of retiring out and Trent Boult's unplayable delivery to KL Rahul. The Super Giants sent Marcus Stoinis to bat at number eight with 65 runs required to get off 27 deliveries.
If you must have followed the Australian all-rounder's career graph, the 32-year old needs a couple of balls to get in and then start taking the attack to the opposition.
While he was unbeaten on 38 off 17 balls with two boundaries and four massive sixes, Lucknow fell short by three runs courtesy of a very indifferent batting order.
If only the Super Giants could have managed to get over the line in this game, who knows, maybe they would have a chance to finish in the top-two and have another shot at the summit clash.
