IPL 2022: How KKR showed way to approach a 200-plus target and other burning questions from KKR v LSG clash

One of the best matches of IPL 2022 for a neutral fan saw Lucknow Super Giants just about edge Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. Having put up 210 without losing a single wicket, Lucknow broke several records as Quinton de Kock compiled the third-highest-individual score in IPL history. But was it enough? A late cameo from Rinku Singh nearly took KKR over the finish line. Here we raise a few burning questions from the match on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_10691691” align=“alignleft” width=“640”]  KKR batters Sunil Narine (right) and Rinku Singh during the IPL 2022 match against LSG in Mumbai on Wednesday. Sportzpics[/caption] Is Quinton de Kock’s season better than KL Rahul’s Quinton de Kock and his partner KL Rahul have been outstanding with the bat this IPL as the duo is among the three players with 500-plus runs so far this season. While Rahul has smashed two hundreds and has higher runs at a better average, De Kock has smashed runs at a strike-rate nearly touching 150. Rahul, meanwhile, has recorded a strike-rate of 135.26, the worst among the top four run-scorers by a fair distance. The bulk of Rahul’s runs have also come against one opposition and in the first innings with his numbers coming down considerably in the second. De Kock’s numbers take a toll in run chases too but the record isn’t as divisive as Rahul’s, with him still averaging above 30 and striking at over 130. While Rahul might have made more runs, de Kock has certainly had a better season and made more impact for Lucknow Super Giants. Why Lucknow should have made more than 210 With De Kock going all guns blazing from one end, Lucknow left a few runs on the field at the other end as Rahul, bizarrely, made a 41-ball 50 and ended up with a strike-rate of 133.3. With the team having lost no wicket, it was odd to see Rahul taking minimal risk and looking to bat deep, especially considering how deep the batting line-up is. It nearly cost Lucknow the game as 210 proved to be not quite enough on what appeared to be a really good batting track. The lack of intent early on and the inability to connect the big ones later was evident in Rahul’s innings that never quite kicked on the way it should have. Rahul’s lack of intent early on in an innings has often been questioned, sometimes unfairly, but last night’s knock was downright ordinary because of how good de Kock was batting and how strong Lucknow’s middle-order was. How Avesh Khan’s terrible numbers hide one of the best overs of the IPL season Avesh Khan finished with figures of 4-0-60-0; the joint-third-worst bowling figures in the season. Even as he conceded 41 runs in his first two overs, Avesh came back spectacularly to bowl one of the best overs of IPL 2022 at Andre Russell. The 15th over of the KKR innings saw Avesh deliver four successive dots at Russell, whom he had deceived earlier in the season as well; dismissed him in the first fixture between these sides. Here, Avesh Khan mixed up his lengths to silence Russell even as the required rate soared. After two outside off-stump back-of-a-length deliveries, Avesh went fuller, nailing the yorker off the third and fourth balls to finish the over with just two runs conceded. He went 17 runs in his final over again, but there’s no taking away how good Avesh has been against the big players (Jos Buttler, whom he dismissed twice in three balls this year another case in point) this year. How does Mohsin Khan’s performances compare to other left-arm quicks this year Left-arm quicks have been a revelation this IPL with Arshdeep Singh, Mohsin Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan and Mukesh Choudhary impressing. The likes of Trent Boult, Daniel Sams, Yash Dayal, Marco Jansen and Mustafizur Rahman have also impressed in bits and pieces. Mohsin, though, has been a standout with his powerplay bowling. Even after bowling 14 overs in the powerplay this year, Mohsin’s economy rate is under six runs per over (5.21). Last night, the left-arm quick hit 151 kmph on the speed gun and has constantly hit the bat hard with his short lengths. A very restrictive seamer, who can bowl through the middle overs as well, Mohsin has stood out from the rest with his lengths and economy rate. While most left-arm quicks are seen as wicket-taking powerplay options with their ability to curve the ball back into right-handers, Mohsin is more about denying the batters room and hitting the good to short length consistently. How KKR showed the way to approach a 200-plus target KKR lost two wickets inside the first three overs but never backed down from the attacking intent. Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer rebuilt for them with a 56-run stand that came off just 26 balls. Despite losing Rana soon after the powerplay, KKR continued to be on the offensive with Iyer continuing his will to bat with greater aggression this season. After Rana’s dismissal, KKR smashed 50 runs in the next four overs to push Lucknow back further. Sam Billings and Shreyas Iyer set the game up for Andre Russell to fire, and although he didn’t quite make it, Rinku Singh did and KKR nearly overhauled the target courtesy the cameo. To chase down a 200-plus total, you’d need a top or middle-order batter batting deep or a finisher stepping up big time, and KKR had both with Iyer batting till the 14th over, and Sam Billings batting till the 16th. Rinku Singh’s spectacular 15-ball 40 provided the finishing touches to a fabulous run chase, but it just wasn’t to be as KKR left a little too much for the final over. 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