'He is a car with gears in an era of automatic cars'

Former India allrounder turned commentator Irfan Pathan was at his creative best when asked to analyse if KL Rahul batting down the order for the Lucknow Super Giants in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season will work for the franchise.

"He (Rahul) is a car with gears in an era of automatic cars. He can bat in any gear from first to fifth. He even has a sixth gear. So considering that, KL Rahul batting down the order might not be bad at all (for LSG)," Pathan said during a discussion on a show on Star Sports.

When quizzed further about who would open for the Lucknow team if Rahul drops down to the middle order, Pathan picked the names of two foreign players in the LSG camp.

"The team combination (playing XI) could include both Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers in such a scenario. If both of them get a place, they (LSG) can go with an all-Indian pace attack," Pathan reckoned.

Rajasthan Royals' Devdutt Padikkal, who was traded in ahead of the IPL auction, is another option LSG have up their sleeve as an opener partnering Myers or De Kock.

The dates for the 2024 IPL season are yet to be officially announced and will depend on the dates of the General Elections this summer.