Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has slammed the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batters for their lack of intent in their IPL 2024 match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Wednesday. LSG managed to put up a total of 165/4, thanks to a 99-run partnership between Ayush Badoni (55*) and Nicholas Pooran (47*). However, Hayden was critical of the LSG top-order, which failed to get going and left the team struggling at 57/3 after 10 overs.
KL Rahul (29 off 33 balls) was dismissed by Pat Cummins in the last ball of the 10th over, and Hayden expressed his frustration with the LSG batters’ lack of aggression. He stated that they needed to show more intent, especially against an opposition like SRH, who have Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen in their ranks. Hayden emphasized that a total of 160-170 would not be enough, and his words proved prophetic as SRH chased down the target in record-breaking fashion.
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma put on an opening partnership of 166 runs in just 9.4 overs, the most by any team inside 10 overs in IPL history. Head remained unbeaten on 89 off 30 balls, while Abhishek scored 75* off 28 balls. The win propelled SRH to the third position in the standings, while LSG languish in sixth place.
Former RCB coach Mike Hesson believes that LSG’s IPL campaign is more or less over following their second consecutive big loss. He pointed out that injuries to Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan have weakened their bowling attack, and that their slide is likely to continue.
LSG still have a decent chance of making it to the playoffs if they win their next two league games, but Hesson’s assessment highlights the challenges they face. The team’s bowling attack has been a concern, and they will need to find a way to improve their performances in the remaining matches to keep their playoff hopes alive.
