3 concerns for LSG heading into the IPL 2023 auction

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were among the most astute franchises in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction.

Led by Gautam Gambhir, LSG put together an excellent roster that reached the playoffs in their maiden IPL season. Having kept most of their core intact, they will be confident of going a few steps further this time around.

Needless to say, the Super Giants have most bases covered. However, they still do have a few holes on their roster. Here are three concerns for LSG heading into the IPL 2023 auction.

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#3 LSG are a bit short on wrist-spinners

England v India - 3rd Vitality IT20

Ravi Bishnoi is the only wrist-spinner on LSG's roster right now. Considered one of the brightest young bowling talents in the country, he is already in and around India's limited-overs sides.

But even Bishnoi lost his place in the Super Giants' playing XI at a certain point in IPL 2022. LSG will know that form is a fickle thing when it comes to wrist-spinners, and having a backup would be a safe option for the franchise.

Unfortunately, the domestic pool of talent isn't particularly rich when it comes to wrist-spinners right now. In the international sphere, barring a couple of names like Adam Zampa and perhaps Adil Rashid, none of them are worth sacrificing an overseas spot on.

LSG have many finger-spinning all-rounders, but they need some more depth in the wrist-spin department.

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#2 LSG need pace-bowling all-rounders after releasing Jason Holder

West Indies v England - T20 International Series Fifth T20I

LSG shelled out just under ₹9 crore to acquire the services of Jason Holder in the IPL 2022 mega-auction. But they couldn't harness his talents to the fullest as he picked up 14 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 9.42 and scored only 58 runs.

LSG wisely decided to let Holder go, and while they might attempt to snap him up at a lesser price, they might not be able to do that in an auction where fast-bowling all-rounders are bound to take a chunk of their budget.

Marcus Stoinis isn't a reliable bowling option, while Kyle Mayers is not much more than a powerplay bowler. LSG need an all-rounder or two after letting Holder go, and finding that will be easier said than done.

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#1 LSG's pace department is injury-prone

India v New Zealand - T20 International

Mark Wood missed the entirety of the IPL 2022 season with injury. In his absence, Dushmantha Chameera did well, but he has been released by LSG. So has Andrew Tye, who was signed as Wood's replacement.

The Super Giants' pace attack currently boasts of Wood, Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan, apart from the untested Mayank Yadav. All three of Wood, Avesh and Mohsin are known to break down from time to time, and a spate of injuries could leave KL Rahul very shorthanded.

LSG need to find pace-bowling backups in the IPL 2023 auction, but both the Indian and overseas talent pools don't look too promising right now. Having released Ankit Rajpoot, the franchise needs to identify the right personnel and find a way to bring them home.