"They would have been disappointed after finishing third" - Shaun Pollock on LSG having to compete in the IPL 2022 Eliminator 

Former South African pacer Shaun Pollock believes that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be disappointed to finish third in the IPL 2022 points table. The KL Rahul-led side made their presence felt in the top two positions for the majority of the tournament but missed out on Qualifier 1 by the barest of margins against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

A difference of +0.44 in the net run-rate tally meant that LSG finished below RR despite having the same number of points. The finish forces a longer route to the final for the new franchise. A heavy defeat against fellow debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) took a heavy toll on their net run rate.

Expressing his disappointment with the output of the LSG middle-order, Pollock said on Cricbuzz:

"LSG would have been disappointed after finishing third."

"At one stage, they had an easy route through. They gave got guys in form. I think their batting has not fired enough. I have been impressed by their bowling options. Mohsin Khan has been the find for me, I think he has been brilliant. I was surprised they left Chameera out. I have not seen much from Stoinis and Holder with the bat so far."

The bulk of the batting has been carried out by the opening pair of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock. The duo have amassed a combined total of 1039 runs in the campaign to mark their presence among the top three run scorers.

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"LSG are a team in shackles while RCB's shackles have been loosened" - Ajay Jadeja

The KL Rahul-led side will have to win three consecutive knockout matches if they want to lift the IPL trophy in their maiden season. Their first obstacle comes in the form of three-time finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Faf du Plessis-led side churned out a positive set of results at the back end of the league stage to compete in the IPL playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Backing RCB's match-winners to come out on top against the "shackled" LSG team, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja said during the same interaction:

"They play like a team while RCB has individuals. On their given day, RCB can take the game away. They have match winners, but not as many or as good as RCB have among their ranks. RCB's bowling has been going down, but if they bat first and score 220-230, they can win. They are a team in shackles while RCB's shackles have been loosened. RCB could surprise all of us."

The new franchise will play its maiden knockout match against RCB at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 25 (Wednesday).