Simon Doull, former New Zealand cricketer, criticized Punjab Kings’ Kagiso Rabada for bowling two no-balls during the match against Lucknow Super Giants in the 38th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Doull expressed his disappointment, stating that it is unacceptable behavior for an international bowler to repeatedly overstep the line. Rabada, who missed the last two IPL matches due to injury, picked up two wickets but conceded 52 runs in his four-over quota, including two wides.
The match was held on Friday, April 28, at Mohali, where Punjab Kings suffered a 56-run loss against the Lucknow Super Giants. The Super Giants gave a flying start to their innings with opener Kyle Mayers reaching his half-century off just 20 balls. Marcus Stoinis scored 72 runs off 42 balls to help Lucknow reach a mammoth total of 257 runs for the loss of five wickets.
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In response, Punjab Kings struggled to chase the huge target and lost their openers early. Atharva Tiade scored 66 runs off 36 balls with the help of 8 fours and 2 sixes, but it wasn’t enough as the team managed to score only 201 runs in 19.5 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq picked up three wickets for 30 runs in his full overs quota.
The Punjab Kings will face the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, April 30. However, Doull’s comments about Rabada’s no-balls and overall performance may add some pressure on the South African pacer to step up his game and avoid further mistakes. With only four wins out of eight matches, the Punjab Kings will need to improve their performance to climb up the 10-team points table of the IPL 2023.