Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul elucidated the primary rationale behind elevating Marcus Stoinis to the No.3 position in the batting lineup subsequent to the Australian all-rounder’s instrumental role in securing a remarkable triumph against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk on Tuesday (April 23).

In pursuit of the daunting target of 211, Stoinis crafted an unbeaten 124 off 63 deliveries, steering LSG to victory with six wickets in hand and three balls to spare. His innings was punctuated by 13 boundaries and 6 maximums.

Addressing the media during the post-match ceremony, Rahul emphasized the necessity for boldness particularly during the powerplay phase, thus deeming it optimal to incorporate a power-hitter within the top three of the batting order.

“Very special, especially when it’s a game like that. We were way behind the game when we were batting so it was very special to pull it off. It was a fresh start, both teams started off at 0. Different conditions here. I think they started off really well and put us under pressure. 170-180 would’ve been a great total here but they batted really well,” Rahul said.

“Full credit to Stoinis. It was not just power hitting, it was very clever batting. He picked his bowlers and played very well,” he added.