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The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had a successful outing at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2023 on Friday, December 23, in Kochi. The KL Rahul-led franchise finished fourth in their inaugural season and will be hoping to progress a few steps further in the forthcoming edition of the competition.
The majority of LSG's releases post the 2022 edition were overseas players. The likes of Dushmanta Chameera, Jason Holder, Andrew Tye, and Evin Lewis could not find a place in the squad while the domestic releases included Manish Pandey, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Ankit Rajpoot.
The franchises headed into the auction table with a purse of ₹23.35 crore with a maximum of 10 slots remaining in their squad. Head coach Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir were present during the event as LSG bolstered their squad, specifically their bench strength.
Their major acquisition came in the form of former West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran. LSG emerged victorious in an intense bidding war against the Delhi Capitals (DC) to acquire his services. They also roped in veteran spinner Amit Mishra as a potential backup for their lead spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
They further replaced all-rounder Jason Holder with fellow Caribbean ace Romario Shepherd for his base price. All-rounder Daniel Sams and pacer Naveen-ul-Haq wrapped up their overseas shopping.
LSG added a flair of domestic talent to their setup as well after roping in Yash Thakur, Prerak Mankad, and Yudhvir Charak to their ranks.
Following the auction, let us have a look at how LSG will frame their playing XI:
LSG openers: KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock
Having retained both their primary openers after the season, it is highly unlikely that LSG will separate the prolific pair at the top. Skipper KL Rahul was the leading run-scorer for the franchise last season and was in contention for the Orange Cap as well, having recorded in excess of 600 runs in a season for the fourth time in succession.
Quinton de Kock also had a formidable season with Rahul at the top. The Proteas ace recorded his highest IPL score (140*) as well during their final group match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The duo played a key role in the team’s progress to the playoffs.
LSG middle order: Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni
New acquisition Nicholas Pooran is expected to feature in the middle order for the Super Giants. The wicketkeeper-batter lost a bit of his touch after taking over as captain of the West Indies but looks to be back in form following a good campaign in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
A left-handed batter in the middle order is also a valuable proposition for any team.
Ayush Badoni, who was among the breakthrough young players of IPL 2022, has established himself as a potent middle-order batter as well as a candidate as a finisher as well.
He has performed relatively well on the domestic circuit since the IPL 2022 and should find himself back in the playing XI in the next season.
LSG all-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, and Deepak Hooda
The Super Giants have a plethora of candidates when it comes to all-rounders. The presence of multiple top-class all-rounders, not only provides depth to their batting but also gives the captain multiple options to choose from.
While Marcus Stoinis is going through a forgettable patch in the Big Bash League (BBL) at the moment, it hardly hampers his credentials as a pinch hitter with the ability to bowl handy overs. The Australian all-rounder was among the first three players picked by the franchise prior to the IPL 2022 mega auction and there is no doubt that he will continue to be an integral part of the playing XI.
Deepak Hooda's rise as a batter was one of the biggest takeaways from IPL 2022. He made the most of his promotion by the management and scored 451 runs at a strike rate of 136. It is yet to be seen whether the addition of new players changes his batting position, but his presence in the playing XI is an absolute certainty.
Among the most economic spinners in the league, Krunal Pandya brings a lot to the table. Gifted with the ability to keep things tight even in the most perilous situations, Krunal is a valuable asset in the middle overs and even potentially as a floater in the batting order.
LSG bowlers: Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, and Ravi Bishnoi
The franchise's pace attack offers a lot of variety and the addition of Mark Wood only strengthens the unit. Mohsin Khan, another breakout star, was highly effective with his left-arm pace bowling and variations. The English pacer will slot right in the void left by the release of Dushmanta Chameera and will have Avesh Khan to complement him as well.
The ever-reliant Ravi Bishnoi will unquestionably be the team’s lead spin bowler for the next season as well.
What do you make of the Lucknow Super Giants' playing XI? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: BCCI unhappy with IPL franchises' investment in overseas T20 leagues - Reports
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