It will change KL Rahul’s T20 batting career and fortunes of the franchise as well – Sanjay Manjrekar doesn’t want LSG skipper to open in IPL 2024

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar doesn’t want Lucknow Super Giant skipper KL Rahul to open the innings in the Indian Premier League 2024. Manjrekar feels Devdutt Padikkal, who was traded with Avesh Khan from Rajasthan Royals, and Quinton de Kock should open the innings for LSG.

The cricketer-turned-commentator said all of Padikkal’s good knocks in the IPL have come at the top of the order. On the other hand, KL Rahul amassed 452 runs in 10 innings of the World Cup at an average of 75.33 and a strike rate of 90.76.

Meanwhile, Rahul scored 274 runs in nine IPL matches of the 2023 edition at an average of 34.25 and a strike rate of 113.22 before he was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

With openers like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shubman Gill rising through the ranks, it would make more sense if KL Rahul takes the finisher role in T20Is, like the way he has done in ODIs.

Speaking to Star Sports, Sanjay Manjrekar said, “I have got a very drastic suggestion. Because they have got somebody like a (Devdutt) Padikkal in, open with Padikkal and Quinton de Kock, because all good performances of Padikkal have come at the top.”

“Have KL Rahul bat down the order. It will change KL Rahul’s T20 batting career and fortunes of the franchise as well.”

On the other hand, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckons LSG must have identified the players from the domestic circuit whom they want to target in the IPL 2024 mini-auction.

Pathan said on the same platform, “There will actually be a lot of work done by their scouts because they have taken out a lot of domestic players. So domestic matches become very important. So they must have identified players whom they want to get from domestic matches.”

IPL 2024 mini-auction will be held in Dubai on December 19.