Head coach Justin Langer believes that if KL Rahul guides Lucknow Super Giants to their inaugural IPL championship, it could secure him a berth in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024. Langer emphasizes the importance for national hopefuls like KL Rahul to prioritize performing well for their franchise. 

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Justin Langer on KL Rahul and Ravi Bishnoi 

KL Rahul, currently recovering from a quadriceps injury and unlikely to take up wicketkeeping duties initially in the IPL, remains uncertain in the Indian T20 squad. Justin Langer suggests that only a strong IPL performance, both with the bat and possibly the gloves later on, could solidify KL Rahul's position in the Indian T20I squad.

When questioned about managing KL Rahul's individual aspirations alongside the team's objectives, Justin Langer simplifies the matter, stating that it's not overly complicated.

“If the team does well, everyone gets rewarded. If KL can captain LSG to IPL title, that means he would have captained well, batted well and kept wickets well. The message for players, like KL or Bishi (Bishnoi) will be that more they concentrate on playing well for LSG, their chances (of WT20 call-up) will increase. He has followed all the 'Return To Play' protocols and he has been hitting a lot of balls,” Justin Langer told PTI on Wednesday.

Lucknow Super Giants will commence their IPL 2024 journey with a clash against Rajasthan Royals on March 24. KL Rahul initially led the team in the tournament, but unfortunately, he sustained an injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Subsequently, Krunal Pandya assumed the captaincy duties for the team for the remaining matches of the season.

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LSG's squad: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Shivam Mavi, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, David Willey, Mohd. Arshad Khan.

(With PTI inputs)