Despite MS Dhoni's heroic innings of 28 runs off 9 balls, Lucky Star Gladiators (LSG) came out victorious against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high-octane IPL match in Lucknow. The crowd was treated to Dhoni's explosive batting, which resulted in a decibel level of 95. However, it was LSG's KL Rahul who stole the show with his outstanding knock of 82 off 53 balls. The match was a thrilling battle between two top teams, and fans are eagerly looking forward to the next match between CSK and LSG on April 23.
Quinton de Kock is on the brink of setting a new record for most runs by a South African player in a single World Cup edition. Currently sitting at 431 runs in the 2023 World Cup, de Kock is only 55 runs away from breaking Jacques Kallis's record of 485 runs in the 2007 edition. With a staggering average of 71.83 and 3 centuries under his belt, de Kock will be keen to reach this milestone in the upcoming match against New Zealand.
Quinton de Kock, one of the most powerful hitters in cricket, recently retired from test and one-day internationals, leaving him out of Cricket South Africa's centrally contracted players list. However, he has been putting on an impressive display in the Indian Premier League, hitting two fifties in the current season. Many speculate that De Kock's anger towards CSA has motivated him to perform well in the IPL. Both Deep Dasgupta and Navjot Singh Sidhu believe that De Kock's absence from the central contract list has ignited a fire in him, leading to his dominant performance on the field.
Cricket South Africa announced its contracted squad for the 2024/25 season, dropping key players including Nortje and de Kock. While Nortje has been recovering from a back injury, de Kock has struggled for form in recent matches, prompting the decision. Meanwhile, young players such as Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi have earned their first national contracts.
India's star batter KL Rahul has been given the green light by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to make his comeback after recovering from an injury sustained during the first Test match against England. However, he has been advised to not take up wicketkeeping duties in the initial games of the Indian Premier League 2024. This development is likely to have a minimal impact on LSG's preparations, as they have quality wicketkeeping options in Nicholas Pooran and Quinton de Kock. Rahul is expected to play lower down the order in the IPL, as he looks to secure his spot for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.