CHENNAI: It’s still early days in IPL 16, but openers seem to be calling the shots.And come Monday at Chepauk, it could be an intriguing battle of two Indian openers — KL Rahul and Ruturaj Gaikwad — which could decide who takes the honours — Chennai Super Kings or Lucknow Super Giants.
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While Rahul’s opening partner Kyle Mayers ran away with the game against Delhi Capitals, Ruturaj was in sparkling form for CSK against Gujarat Titans, albeit in a losing cause.
Both Rahul and Ruturaj have enough experience at the Chepauk pitch. While Rahul was part of the Indian team that played an ODI against Australia, Ruturaj has been training at the venue for a month now.
They know that the pitch would get slower as the game wears on and it’s imperative that they give their teams a good start.
Rahul’s recent struggles in international cricket are well documented. In 2022, Rahul scored 434 runs in 16 T20I innings, and more than the average of 28.93, his strike-rate of 126.53 has raised concerns.
Gaikwad, on the other hand, has time and again demonstrated his clean-hitting ability. After a stellar show in Vijay Hazare Trophy last year, he was set to play the New Zealand T20 series in January-February when a wrist injury ruled him out.
He marked his return to competitive cricket with a 50-ball 92 in IPL’s curtain-raising match — the ease with which he found the gaps and creamed sixes on both sides of the wicket made it seem as if he was batting on a different pitch than his teammates.
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Rahul, meanwhile, will look to revive the touch and confidence that had made him one of the country’s most exciting batting talents. The CSK new-ball attack isn’t the best and if Rahul gets going, it can get difficult for the hosts.