Lucknow Super Giants had an excellent debut season in the IPL 2022 edition where they reached the playoffs under the leadership of India’s star batsman KL Rahul. Having had a good enough start to their IPL journey, the LSG team didn’t make that many changes to their potential core in the mini auctions that happened a few months back.
While they did let go of West Indies players like Evin Lewis and Jason Holder, the LSG got 2 Windies players at the auctions in Nicholas Pooran and all-rounder Romario Shepard. This should boost the squad significantly as both these players have done well in the shortest format of the game. The Super Giants will start their campaign against a strong Delhi Capitals side in what is a home game for the LSG team on the 1st of April 2023.
Lucknow Super Giants squad (IPL 2023): KL Rahul, Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Manan Vohra, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Nicholas Pooran, Jaydev Unadkat, Yash Thakur, Romario Shepherd, Daniel Sams, Amit Mishra, Prerak Mankad, Swapnil Singh, Naveen ul Haq, Yudhvir Charak
Predicting the Playing XI for Lucknow Super Giants (IPL 2023)
Openers: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock
The Lucknow Super Giants boasts a great opening pair in Quinton de Kock and skipper KL Rahul. The talented left-right combo can take the game away from the opposition in the powerplays and are wonderful stroke players. They have the potential to unsettle any opposition bowlers on their day and Lucknow could go the distance if the duo has a fruitful season this IPL.
KL Rahul hasn’t been at his best in recent times as far as international cricket is concerned but in IPL he has been a different beast. Averaging a stunning 48 in the toughest T20 league in a career spanning about 109 games and achieving that with a strike rate of 136, Rahul is up there with the best in IPL cricket.
Quinton, the keeper-batsman from South Africa is a fantastic white ball player and has been prolific for both South Africa as well as for the different IPL teams he has played for.
Middle-order: Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni
Deepak Hooda since the last IPL has become a regular for the Indian team in T20Is and has even scored a century in the format. This gives the team management confidence in the all-rounder to come good for the team at the crucial No.3 slot. Hooda has done reasonably well in the IPL and especially in the last season, where he played his best cricket in the IPL yet. The all-rounder repaid the faith shown by the team management to play him at no.3 by amassing 451 runs at a strike rate of over 136 with 4 half-centuries in 15 games.
Nicholas Pooran was brought by the LSG for a whopping 16 crores in the auction, despite his inconsistent show in the IPL over the years. Though he had a better IPL season in 2022 where he made 306 runs at a strike rate of over of 144, Pooran was let go by the SRH franchise. Lucknow has seemingly a lot of interest in Pooran and he should bat at No.4 in the current batting order of LSG.
Ayush Badoni, the 23-year-old batter had a decent beginning to his IPL career scoring a half-century on debut but faded away a little at the end. But he is a great prospect for the LSG team in the middle order and the Rahul-led side will hope for several impressive outings by Badoni.
All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham/ Mohsin Khan
Marcus Stoinis is one of the most powerful strikers of the ball going around in the world of cricket and should be an automatic pick in the LSG playing XI. He has played several match-winning hands with both bat & ball and the LSG will expect great things from him in the season of IPL.
