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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced a 19-run defeat against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 64th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. After being asked to bat first, DC posted an imposing total of 208 for 4 in 20 overs, fueled by notable contributions from Abhishek Porel (58 off 33) and Tristan Stubbs (57 off 25).
In response, LSG’s batting lineup struggled against DC bowlers, and even their set batter, Nicholas Pooran, departed after playing a crucial knock of 61 runs in 27 balls. As DC appeared to gain full control of the match, Lucknow’s bowler, Arshad Khan, took charge and began to dominate the opposition bowlers. Arshad played an unbeaten innings of 58 runs in 33 balls. Despite falling short of securing victory for his team, his performance earned accolades from fans and sports personalities alike.
Justin Langer showers praise on Arshad Khan for his performance
During the post-match press conference, LSG head coach Justin Langer praised Arshad for his innings, highlighting him as a talented all-rounder who demonstrated his potential in Tuesday’s game. Langer further suggested that Arshad could serve as a valuable all-round option for the team due to his exceptional bowling skills.
“I think Arshad is a very, very good cricketer. He swung the ball early, he is a good fieldsman and to be able to bat like that, he is a very good package. I thought, while watching the tournament, that he has good potential and he showed some of that tonight. Particularly with his bowling, he can be a real handful and a very good all-round cricketer,” Langer said in the post-match press conference.
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Langer cites Lucknow’s pitch as the best surface to play in IPL 2024
Continuing the discussion with reporters, Langer emphasized that the pitch at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow is the top cricketing surface, standing out for its balanced contest between bat and ball. The 53-year-old also pointed out that, unlike numerous matches in the tournament where batting has largely overshadowed bowling, this pitch has maintained an equilibrium between the two facets of the game.
“I think Lucknow wicket is the best cricket wicket in the competition because there has been a real contest between bat and ball. Whereas a lot of this tournament has been one-sided towards the bat. We haven’t capitalized on the powerplay like some of the other teams have. I thought if we had been a little bit more intelligent with our batting today, it was a chaseable score on this wicket,” the former cricketer concluded.
