IPL 2023: Virender Sehwag Lashes Out At LSG Management For 'Poor Call' During GT vs LSG IPL Match

Virender Sehwag lashed out at LSG team management, questioning why out-of-form Deepak Hooda was sent in early to bat at number three when the required rate was so high.

Just when it seemed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) would easily make it to the IPL 2023 playoffs, their sudden dip in form and a 'controversy-hit' pretty rough week in IPL 2023 has given the team management plenty of things to worry about. In their last three games, LSG have lost two and one match got called off due to rain. Also, injured KL Rahul's shocking exit from the tournament hasn't helped. After a washed-out match against Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow squared off against defending champions Gujarat Titans under Krunal Pandya's captaincy. 

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Batting first, Gujarat Titans piled up a challenging 227 run target on board. LSG openers Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock powered their team to a solid start. At the end of powerplay, Lucknow had reached 76. LSG were cruising in the chase and the tone was set for a win but things messed up badly after Mayers got out. LSG made the big blunder of sending in Deepak Hooda, who is yet to find his form in the ongoing season, to bat at number three. His 11-ball 11 before getting out slowed the game and took the momentum away from LSG. The move to send in Hooda early, ahead of in-form Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis was quite bizarre and shocking. LSG never recovered from there, eventually losing the match and valuable points to GT.

Taken aback by the poor call, ex-India batter Virender Sehwag lashed out at LSG, questioning why out-of-form Hooda was sent in early when the required rate was so high.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Segwag said, "They were 102/1 after 10 overs. They shouldn't have lost with this much of a margin after that. After that first wicket, I believe an in-form batter should've come; it could be Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya himself, or Ayush Badoni, who scored some very quick runs in the previous game against Chennai. And who came? Hooda?

"They lost that match at that moment. It was a blunder from LSG. If Nicholas Pooran had come there, the way he plays, he could've probably scored a 20-ball 50 and changed the game. If you need 100 runs in five overs, you are not going to win," he added.

“Ayush Badoni scored 21 off 11 balls. If he had arrived at the time, he could've increased the pace of scoring as well. Whose decision was that? Captain? Coach? or the management? Who sent Hooda at 3? It should've been an in-form batter there,” Sehwag said.