3 reasons why LSG must replace Devdutt Padikkal with Deepak Hooda in IPL 2024 clash vs KKR

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 28th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday, April 14.

LSG currently sit fourth in the points table with three wins and two losses. Lucknow lost their last game against the Delhi Capitals, with their middle order having a poor show except for Ayush Badoni, who scored a brilliant half-century.

Meanwhile, one LSG player who has underperformed so far and might lose his place in the match against KKR is Devdutt Padikkal. The Indian batter was traded to LSG from the Rajasthan Royals before the start of the season.

However, Padikkal is having a season to forget; in the five matches, his scores are (0, 9, 6, 7, 3). The left-handed batter has only scored 25 runs in five matches and hasn't been comfortable with the short time he has spent on the pitch.

Padikkal was expected to be one of the players for LSG to watch out for this season; however, things haven’t gone in his favor, and now he might lose his place in the playing 11 to another Indian batter, Deepak Hooda.

In light of that, in this article, we will look at three reasons why Hooda must replace Padikkal in LSG's clash against the KKR.

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#1 Deepak has rich experience in T20 cricket

Deepak Hooda has been playing cricket for some time now. The Indian batter debuted in the IPL in 2015 and has played over 100 matches with seven half-centuries to his name. Hooda also scored a century for India in the T20s against Ireland and was also part of the Indian T20 World Cup squad in 2022. Overall, Hooda has played 197 T20 games and scored over 3,000 runs.

Now, looking at Deepak Hooda's experience and the way Padikkal seems to be struggling with form, it won’t be a surprise if the Indian batter comes into LSG’s playing 11 against KKR.

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#2 Hooda can play at any position

Deepak Hooda's ability to bat at any position is one of his greatest assets. Fans must have seen him open the batting for India in T20s, and he has also batted at numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in IPL cricket. Hooda is a dynamic player; he can hold one end tight and can also play aggressive cricket if needed.

This season, Hooda has played only two games so far. In the first match, he scored 26 runs against Rajasthan Royals in only 13 balls. Meanwhile, he was used as an impact player in Lucknow’s last game but only managed to score 10 runs. However, now that there are high chances of him being in the playing 11 in the coming matches, he will be looking to deliver some match-winning performances for his side.

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#3 The LSG player can also bowl some off-spin overs

Deepak Hooda can also bowl some off-spin for his team. Apart from being a player who can bat at any position, he also boasts this bowling quality. The Lucknow player can also bowl with a new ball and ask questions of the batter with his variations.

Looking at his records, Hooda has 24 wickets to his name in T20 matches and has a very decent economy of 7.57, with his best figures being 4/10. With all these skills under his belt and being a gun fielder, Deepak Hooda might have his chance to shine in the match against KKR.