3,103,642 likes. The official Facebook account of KL Rahul. Professional cricketer. 3,103,642 likes. The official Facebook account of KL Rahul. Professional cricketer.

Hyderabad: Kings XI Punjab’s journey in the IPL came to a bitter end after suffering a nine-wicket loss against Chennai Super Kings. Captain KL Rahul was disappointed at their batting failure in the must-win game.

Mayank Aragwal and Rahul started brilliantly adding 48 runs in 5.2 overs. However, they lost wickets in the middle to settle for a modest 153/6. If not for Deepak Hooda’s unbeaten 62, they would have settled for a low total.

Speaking after the loss, Rahul said, “It (the loss) does hurt. We have done really well to give us a chance to qualify. There is a lot to be proud of. It hurts for a little while but we need to take the learnings and come back stronger next year. We could not get partnerships going. Mayank and myself got a good start. We should have capitalised and scored big to put 190 on the board would have been ideal. Deepak (Hooda) gave us a fighting chance. In a match like this, a big total would have been ideal to defend. We didn’t soak up the pressure. We needed one of the top four to go and get a big 70 or 80.”

On going with an extra batter, he said, “We needed to win this game and that too was by a decent margin. So we went batting heavy to get a big score. But it didn’t work out.” He praised Hooda’s innings and lauded youngsters Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi calling them the talent for the future. “Deepak batted really well. He gave us a chance. The youngsters, they have been putting in a lot of work. It is important for them to get good games to feel confident. They came here and played against tough teams. They handled the pressure well and it is a great sign for us and for Indian cricket as well. We keep an eye on them and work with them for the future,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, CSK coach Stephen Fleming said they struggled with finding the right balance in the initial part of the tournament that cost them dearly. “We had a few setbacks early on with Covid and a few players leaving. We struggled to find the right combination in their absence. We did well in the first game but got exposed in the next games. It was frustrating. But we stuck to the team and we are proud to get three wins on the trot. With no pressure, we played with freedom,” he said.

He also lauded Ruturaj Gaikwad who slammed his third straight fifty. “Yes, he is a big story. He was outstanding in the preseason as well. But he had to wait because of Covid. We are pleased for him. He is a big candidate for us going forward.”

As per reports in Cricbuzz on Monday (Feb 15), the Punjab franchise has changed its name and will now be known as Punjab Kings.

IPL 2021: Kings XI Punjab may change team name and logo ahead of IPL 14

Kl Rahul Stats

Kl Rahul Betting App

According to reports the team has gotten the nod from the BCCI for the name change and will be known as Punjab Kings from the 14th edition of the glitzy T20 event. There is yet to be any formal communication from the franchise.

Earlier, reports had been doing the rounds that the Punjab team might make an announcement ahead of the IPL auction set to be held on February 18th.

The Punjab team, which is yet to lift an IPL trophy, is captained by India regular KL Rahul and coached by Anil Kumble.

Apply

The team, which is partially owned by Bollywood star Preity Zinta, endured a tough season in the last edition despite a strong start and crashed out in the league phase.

Kl Rahul Betting App Download

Ahead of the auction, the franchise let go of their big-ticket player Glenn Maxwell. The IPL auction is set to be held on Thursday (Feb 18th).

KXIP Retained players: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel

KXIP Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Hardus Viljoen, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Sheldon Cottrell, Jimmy Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Tajinder Singh.

App

Get breaking news alerts.