“He has that presence, intimidation…”: KL Rahul on Dhoni after win

After clinching an eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul shared his thoughts on the enthusiastic support for MS Dhoni from the home crowd, likening it to playing in “mini-Chennai.” Dhoni’s quick cameo of 28 runs off nine balls notably fired up the audience.

Rahul and Quinton de Kock both hit spirited fifties to secure a comfortable win for LSG. Reflecting on the match, Rahul expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, particularly praising his bowlers, though he acknowledged the challenge posed by Dhoni’s presence at the crease.

“Feels good at the end of the day. When you win, most decisions feel right. We were committed to our plans. Really happy with that. Depends on the wicket, I deploy my bowlers. The bowlers executed really well. The team is sticking to the plans. Halfway stage, I would have been happy with 160. The wicket was slow and a bit of grip. MSD walked in and the pressure got to the bowlers. He has had the intimidation on opposition bowlers. Our young bowlers were put under pressure with the crowd going berserk as well. 15-20 runs extra they got. I have been trying to assess the situation,” Rahul stated.

He also commented on his own batting performance, “It came off today (his attacking knock). I knew the CSK spinners will put the pressure on. I picked my bowlers and it came off. Quinton batted well as well. Made life easy for both.”

Overall, Rahul highlighted the tactical decisions and the particular challenges they faced, especially from a charged-up Dhoni and an electric stadium atmosphere, which ultimately did not deter his team from securing a win.