Image Source: ANI
[Saba Sports News] The focus on “strike rate” has intensified in Indian cricket following former India captain Sunil Gavaskar’s critique of Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli’s explosive interview during IPL 2024. In the midst of this controversy, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul made a significant shift in his stance on strike rate, acknowledging its growing importance in the evolving dynamics of the game.
Rahul, known for his composed approach in T20 cricket, previously deemed strike rate as “overrated,” emphasizing his priority to win games for his team rather than solely focusing on run rate. However, reflecting on the changing landscape of the sport, Rahul now recognizes the significance of strike rate, especially in a scenario where even a score of 220 is becoming commonplace.
“There’s been a lot of talk about strike-rates and the format is changing. Even 220 is now safe. It is evolving,” shared Rahul following LSG won the toss.
Amidst this discourse, Gavaskar expressed his displeasure towards Kohli’s response to criticism regarding his strike rate, particularly after his innings against Gujarat Titans. Gavaskar criticized Kohli for engaging with “outside noise” and questioned the need for such responses when players often claim to ignore external opinions. He emphasized the importance of commentators providing unbiased analysis based on the game’s dynamics rather than personal preferences.
“Commentators questioned only when the strike rate was 118. I’m not too sure. I don’t watch too many matches, so I don’t know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you have a strike of 118 and then you get out in the 14th or the 15th with a strike-rate of 118, I mean, if you want applause for that, that’s a little bit different. That’s different,” he told Star Sports. Gavaskar also lashed out at Kohli for responding to “outside noise” amid cricketers constantly mentioning that they care less about what critics say about their game. “All these guys talk about, oh we don’t care about outside noise. Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is. We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening,” added Gavaskar.