Lucknow Super Giants concluded their IPL 2024 campaign with a 18-run win over MI. According to head coach Justin Langer, the side started the tournament with high hopes and fresh attitude but dropped the intensity following the announcement of the T20 World Cup squad. Although Langer did not specify which team he was referring to, it seems likely that he was making a reference to the two biggest Indian snubs, KL Rahul and Ravi Bishnoi.
“Since the squad announcement, things were different. We lost a few games which cost us. We had a great run until April, then it just faded. It has not lived up to expectations. Although we had a strong team, the fact that we were missing a few bowlers because of injuries had an impact,” noted Langer.
“Its disappointing that we failed to make it to the playoffs,” he remarked.
The head coach backed KL Rahul and his batting approach, stating that each player has a distinct way of carrying out their game plan and that Rahul was free to follow his own path.
“One thing to work out about KL is that he always departed after scoring a 30 or 40. He is a kind guy and a really talented player, in my opinion. I’ve heard the criticism, but I feel that everyone approaches things in their own way. It’s pretty high risk cricket if you play at a strike rate of 160s all the way through. I believe that just as the game is changing, so will he as a player,” he continued.
After coaching Australia for four years, Langer ruled himself out when asked if he would be interested in taking on the challenging task of head coach for India following the T20 World Cup in 2024.
“With the volume of cricket and the expectations associated with it, coaching the Indian cricket team would almost be the biggest job in the sport. Both the challenge and the fun would be immense. Although winning ICC crowns would be a fantastic chance, the timing must be ideal given all of these factors,” Langer opined.
“I coached the Australian side for almost four years. It includes everything. It is tiresome, and I believe that someone else—like Rahul Dravid or Ravi Shastri—will likely tell you the same thing. There is a lot of pressure on the Indian team to win. Okay. The next person hired will undoubtedly be eager to work on this task, in my opinion,” he further added.