πRajastan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur, on 24/03/23 at 03.30 PM IST
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Will Rahul continue to open as LSG begin season against Royals?
Royals will hope their two high-profile openers Buttler and Jaiswal fire together this season
Big picture - Where will Rahul bat?
After the 2016 season, KL Rahul has only batted as an opener in the IPL, except for one match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last year when he came out at No. 11 after picking up a quad injury while fielding. Even for India, he established himself at the top of the order. But with Lucknow Super Giants bringing opener Devdutt Padikkal into their squad, along with Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers as overseas options, could Rahul drop down to strengthen the middle order?
There is also the additional intrigue of India's selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rahul has not played T20Is since the 2022 World Cup and wasn't selected in India's most recent squads for series in South Africa and at home Afghanistan. And with Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill competing for opening slots, Rahul's only chance to make it might be to audition for a role in the middle order.
Where ever Rahul bats, the Super Giants boast a power-packed batting line up comprising de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis that has helped them qualify for the playoffs in each of their first two seasons in the IPL.
Their opponents on Sunday, Rajasthan Royals, won four of their first five games last season and then lost five of their next six, a reversal in form that left them just outside the playoff spots. They will hope their two high-profile openers - Jos Buttler and Jaiswal - fire together this season. Buttler was supreme in Royals' run to the final in 2022, scoring 863 runs, but had a poor 2023 season (392 runs with five ducks). Jaiswal showed flashes of his immense potential in 2022, and then blossomed in 2023, when he smashed 625 runs at a strike-rate of 163.61. Jaiswal comes into this IPL after a Player of the Series performance in the five home Tests against England, while Buttler found some form for Paarl Royals in the SA20, finishing fourth in the run charts.
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