KL Rahul, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024, finds himself in a curious position. While a talented batter, his conservative approach in the T20 format raises questions about his suitability for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

After a year away from T20Is, KL Rahul returned to the IPL in 2024 as both wicketkeeper and opener, a decision that surprised some. The BCCI had previously advised him to ease back into keeping duties after injury concerns.

With established wicketkeepers like Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran on the LSG team, Rahul’s choice to prioritize opening the batting has sparked debate.

KL Rahul‘s cautious approach was evident in LSG’s recent chase against the Rajasthan Royals. His 44-ball 58 proved insufficient, and his comment that the target of 194 wasn’t excessive raised eyebrows.

Lucknow has one of the lowest PowerPlay strike rates (119.07) in the IPL since the team’s inception. KL Rahul himself boasts an underwhelming PowerPlay strike rate of 108.89, the worst among the top 15 T20 openers.

While KL Rahul maintains a decent average of 45.14 as an opener over the past three seasons, his overall strike rate of 127.93 is the lowest among the top 15 leading run-scoring openers.