Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) assistant coach Lance Klusener has downplayed the animated chat between owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain KL Rahul despite it drawing widespread attention. The former South African all-rounder claimed that it was a mere discussion between two passionate fans and feels it's healthy for team environment.
Following the Super Giants' ten-wicket thrashing at the hands of the SunRisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Goenka was spotted speaking furiously to Rahul. With fans alleging Goenka of publicly humiliating the keeper-batter, he received backlash from them and urged him to pick a leaf out of Shah Rukh Khan's behaviour.
Speaking to reporters on Monday ahead of their game against the Delhi Capitals, Klusener said he sees no problem in it as it was a healthy discussion and reckons they are healthy. As quoted by Cricuzz, the 52-year-old said:
"I don't see any problem with some robust discussion between two cricket lovers. I don't see any problem with that. For us, I guess, it's just a storm in a teacup. We love a robust discussion, I think that's how teams get better. So, it's not a big thing for us."
"This IPL has been exceptionally tough for him" - Lance Klusener on KL Rahul
Klusener threw his weight behind KL Rahul, calling him a fantastic player and feels their batting unit's inconsistencies is the reason behind his fluctutating returns in IPL 2024. He claimed:
"I think everybody's got their own style. KL's got his own unique style, which has made him a fantastic player not just here in India but around the world and respected around the world. I think this IPL has been exceptionally tough for him because we've kept losing wickets at poor stages, which hasn't allowed him to kick on where he liked. He probably feels like he's always having to rebuild. So I think as a batting unit around KL we haven't been as good as we should. So I think it's just been extremely tough conditions for him in that way."
A loss for either Capitals or Super Giants on Tuesday will push them out of IPL 2024 playoff race.
