As the cricket fraternity gears up for yet another exciting addition of the Indian Premier League, fresh hopes emerge for Lucknow Super Giants of breaking their eliminator curse.
Since their introduction to the IPL in 2022, the Lucknow Super Giants have not encountered the same stroke of luck as the Gujarat Titans, the other of the two teams introduced into the tournament in IPL 2022.
However, the Sanjeev Goenka-owned franchise has opted for a more challenging mantra to bring them success this year, which might just turn out to be a phenomenal tale. After getting knocked out in the eliminator stage in both IPL 2022 and 2023 by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians respectively, the KL Rahul-led side will be hoping to go the full distance to the cup with their revamped experienced overseas and promising youth-stacked squad.
One of the biggest changes that LSG have made is in their coaching set-up. They have parted ways with head coach Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir and have brought in Australia legend Justin Langer. Langer comes into the side with an incredible pedigree. After an enviable international career, Langer is much revered as a coach. A 3-time Big Bash League champion and T20 World Cup 2021 winner, Langer is known as one of the most serious men in world cricket.
Having taken charge of the Australian team during the troubled years, Langer is well regarded for his straight talk and taskmaster approach.
With seasoned players like their captain KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, and Nicholas Pooran, all of whom have spent considerable time as top performers in multiple editions of the tournament, Lucknow Super Giants will hope to put in another strong season. The team will also depend upon their young talents, such as Devdutt Paddikal, M Siddarth and Arshin Kulkarni.
With their first challenge of IPL 2024 coming against Rajasthan Royals on March 24, Rahul will be hoping to create the perfect balance between experience and youth in his side, which might see them go through to their maiden IPL Final.
HOW WAS IPL 2024 AUCTION FOR LSG?
Overall, LSG spent Rs 12.20 crore in the IPL 2024 auction in December 2023. At first glance, this expenditure might appear to be a subtle move for the franchise compared to the likes of KKR and SRH, who made a buzz by splashing big money in the same auction.
However, it could be argued that the management of LSG deliberately opted for a more targeted expenditure strategy, rather than following a trend of “mega signings”. Instead, they focused on acquiring players who have demonstrated impressive performances in domestic and List A cricket, a trend that has been gaining momentum since the end of 2023. Among their acquisitions are players such as Arshin Kulkarni (Rs. 20 lakh) and M. Siddharth (Rs. 2.40 crore), who have shown considerable promise in the format.
Arguably, their best acquisition of the season was Devdutt Paddikal, who was traded from Rajasthan Royals for Avesh Khan. The 23-year-old batter has been in considerably good form in domestic cricket, a trend that continued during his maiden Test against England in Dharamsala. Showcasing his mixture of both controlled and explosive batting style, Paddikal had already impressed many in the competition for his last two franchises RCB and RR. On the other hand, IPL 2024 will bring Paddikal the opportunity to bounce back from his dismal IPL 2023 form, which saw him only manage 261 runs in his 11 matches.
THE SHAMAR JOSEPH PUNT
Their most unexpected activity in the auction came when LSG roped in Shivam Mavi for a whopping Rs. 6.40 crore. The 25 year-old joined LSG after being released by GT, who had bought him for Rs 6 crore in 2022 following a five-year stint at KKR. This signing certainly did raise some eyebrows during the auction as Mavi failed to make his spot in the GT playing XI for the entirety of IPL 2023 and never made more than 9 appearances for KKR.
With the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pulling out England pacer Mark Wood from IPL 2024, LSG has roped in West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph as a replacement for Rs 3 crore. Given Joseph’s recent heroics in his side’s Test against Australia, this twist of fate could potentially turn out to be advantageous for LSG in their IPL 2024 campaign. The move could see the 24-year-old become the face of their fast-bowling attack, alongside dependable alternates like Naveen-ul-Haq and David Willey.
LSG’s Batting brilliance – Strength
Regardless of the alterations that Rahul and the LSG management make in their playing XI, their top-order batting lineup possesses the potential to be one of the deadliest among the other teams in the tournament. With the composure of De Kock and KL Rahul at the top, followed by the explosiveness of Pooran and Stoinis, batting never really poses a question mark on the side’s abilities.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of youngsters like Padikkal and Arshin, alongside Ayush Badoni, who impressed many with his batting prowess in IPL 2023, only enhances their squad depth.
LSG’s Spin Bowling Bet – Weakness
Bowling had been LSG’s weak point in both IPL 2022 and 2023, and that might just be the faulty brick in their IPL 2024 plans yet again. Unlike their star-studded batting lineup, LSG lack the spark in their bowling, be it spin or pace.
Despite Ravi Bishnoi’s formidable form in IPL 2023 and India’s recent T20Is, LSG face a lack of assurance in their spin options due to lack of impactful performance or experience amongst the other names on the list. The likes of Amit Mishra, Krunal Pandya and K. Gowtham, all had a season to forget last year with their lacklustre performances.
This is exactly where LSG will hope to inject the powerplay expertise of their new signing M. Siddharth, which could turn out to be their only remedy to their spin problems, for better or worse.
LSG Buys in IPL Auction 2024
Shivam Mavi (Rs. 6.40 crore), Arshin Kulkarni (Rs. 20 lakh), M. Siddharth (Rs. 2.40 crore), Ashton Turner (Rs. 1 crore), David Willey (Rs. 2 crore), Mohd. Arshad Khan (Rs. 20 lakh).
LSG Full Squad IPL 2024
KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph (replacement for Mark Wood), Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Shivam Mavi, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, David Willey, Mohd. Arshad Khan.
LSG coaching staff for IPL 2024
Justin Langer (Head coach), S Sriram (assistant coach), Morne Morkel (fast bowling coach), Pravin Tambe (spin consultant), Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach), MSK Prasad (strategic consultant), and Adam Voges (consultant)
LSG Probable Playing XI
Option 1: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Mavi, Shamar Joseph, M. Siddharth.
Option 2: KL Rahul (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Prerak Mankad, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph, Mohsin Khan.
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