Cricket

'Tuk Tuk race mei kaun aage?' - Fans troll David Warner and KL Rahul for low strike rate in IPL 2023

David Warner and KL Rahul were criticized heavily for their low strike rate in Indian Premier League. Here's how fans reacted.

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KL Rahul and David Warner, IPL 2023

KL Rahul and David Warner, IPL 2023 (Source: Twitter)

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, two of the best batters of their generation, KL Rahul and David Warner, have let their bats do the talking. Nevertheless, despite being among the top scorers this season, the two are under scrutiny for their strike rates. Warner and Rahul have both drawn criticism for their subpar scoring performances in the 16th season of the league.

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Former Australia and Chennai Super Kings hitter Matthew Hayden shared his opinion on the "strike-rate debate" that has divided the cricket community and its supporters in an exclusive interview with NDTV.

When moving from Test or ODI cricket to T20Is, a player's performance measurements have significantly changed. While some think strike rates are more crucial in the game's shortest format, others think averages and half-centuries are still vital. Hayden also offered his perspective on the problem.

'Both David Warner had Delhi Capitals have struggled' – Matthew Hayden

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"It's a real conundrum as to how former cricketers and commentators like myself try and work out what's the metric that really counts. Ishan Kishan, for example, could be criticised for not going on and scoring a big score, but inside the powerplay, his strike rate is about 175. So, he's doing his job. Because, when you look at the Mumbai Indians lineup, you've got Tilak Varma, who is coming in and smashing the ball," Hayden said.

When challenged about Warner's strike rate, Hayden responded diplomatically but acknowledged that scoring rates needed to be examined. "Both David Warner had Delhi Capitals have had a struggling start to the new season. A lot of wickets have been tumbling around him. The Delhi Capitals side has not been together with the bat."

KL The strike rate of Rahul has been a problem for several IPL seasons. He believes that T20 strike rates are "overrated," which is an odd claim. Rahul's IPL 2023 strike rate of 113.91 is the lowest for him in a long time. LSG captain Rahul's decision to play the waiting game and subsequent wicket loss contributed significantly to Saturday's defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT).

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Here's how fans trolled the two batters: 

Delhi Capitals featured Twitter Reactions IPL 2023 KL Rahul Indian Premier League Lucknow Super Giants David Warner