IPL 2023: KL Rahul’s woes, Mark Wood is too good and K Gowtham’s big impact six 

Wood’s pace makes batsmen jittery
No one wanted anything to do with Mark Wood. After he got the footholes sorted, the England speedster proceeded to sort out the Delhi Capitals top order. He first set up Prithvi Shaw, who had looked in good touch against everyone else, but wouldn’t have encountered pace like this in recent times. After softening him up with a few short balls, Wood gave him a 147kmph length ball, which the  flat-footed Shaw could only flail at, seeing his off-stump pegged back.
Mitchell Marsh had been in terrific form in the recent ODI series against India, but going for an expansive drive off his first ball against someone of Wood’s speed was much too ambitious. His furniture was promptly re-arranged.

! 😲@MAWood33 gets two in two with his fiery pace 🔥🔥
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/086EqX92dA #TATAIPL#TATAIPL | #LSGvDC | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/wuCshhzfMo
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2023

Even the experienced David Warner was anxious to get to the other end. Sarfaraz Khan, the domestic run machine, was also found wanting against Wood. He can’t be blamed, as such pace is rare on the first-class circuit. Sarfaraz tried an ungainly ramp against a sharp bouncer aimed at his face, and the resultant shot provided an easy catch at fine leg. It is safe to assume that neither Sarfaraz nor his father would be too pleased with the shot. It also proved that whatever be the format of the game, ‘pace is pace, yaar’.
– Tushar Bhaduri
Rahul’s left-arm woes
KL Rahul – along with most other right-handed top-order Indian batsman – has shown a particular weakness against left-arm seam in the recent past. Those woes continued after a laboured start, managing 8 off 12 balls, before losing his wicket to Chetan Sakariya – the fourth time in four IPL innings against him.
Rahul fell for the bait. After Sakariya delivered a few full-ish balls outside off, one of which Rahul smashed for six over long-on, he bowled a slower one on the pads, keeping his line straighter and length shorter. Rahul flicked the ball straight into the hands of deep backward square-leg.

SIX & OUT!
Early success for @Sakariya55 & @DelhiCapitals!#LSG lose their skipper inside the powerplay.
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/086EqX92dA #TATAIPL#TATAIPL | #LSGvDC pic.twitter.com/khUlbPRmcY
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2023

Kyle Mayers has picked up the pace against spinners, but Rahul’s T20 Powerplay problems pers, as it left LSG 30-1 after the first six overs.
– Namit Kumar
Ultimate impact?
The Lucknow Super Giants’ peculiar use of the newly-introduced impact player option pays off big time. After Ayush Badoni whacked two huge sixes before getting out on the penultimate ball of the innings, Gambhir, Rahul and co. decided to introduce Krishnappa Gowtham into the team to face just one ball.

The right-hander slapped Sakariya for six straight over long on, with the final over going for 22 runs. Gowtham will play a role with the ball and in the field, but if this game ends on a tight note, his one-ball contribution with the bat may be his most significant.
– Namit Kumar
Anxious veteran
David Warner’s recent struggles in Test cricket are well documented, with a concussion and fractured elbow to boot during the recent series against India. Understandably, the Aussie left-hander would have been  a bit jittery and anxious as he began his IPL campaign. He was trying to hit every ball too hard, camping on the back foot, and trying to thrash everything. Out came an attempted reverse slap off Krishnappa Gowtham, which didn’t work either. It helped that Prithvi Shaw was looking good at the other end, but once he and Mitchell Marsh went off successive deliveries, the Delhi Capitals skipper became the key man for his side.
– Tushar Bhaduri