The new addition to IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants have managed to get a solid squad in the mega auction, which has the potential to lift the trophy this year. KL Rahul, who was leading the Punjab Kings until last season has been appointed as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants.
Sanjiv Goenka owned franchise would be looking for a splendid season under the eyes of experienced head coach – Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who is a two-time IPL champion.
The team has got their hands on many experienced Indian players such as Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, and Manish Pandey. They have also signed many overseas talents, namely Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, etc.
On that note, let’s have a look at the potential playing XI for Lucknow Super Giants, their strengths and weaknesses ahead of IPL 2022.
Potential Playing XI For Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022
Openers
KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock (WK)
Lucknow Super Giants have got an explosive opening pair in the form of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul. The right-hand, left-hand combination is the cherry on the cake. Quinton de Kock can play aggressive cricket in the powerplay and provide a good start to the team. While it would be intriguing to see what role KL Rahul would be playing in the team. Anchoring the innings or attacking from the word go?
KL Rahul Records as Opener in IPL
| MATCHES | RUNS | AVERAGE | STRIKE RATE | 50 | 100 | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 2773 | 53.32 | 140.12 | 25 | 2 | 132* |
Quinton de Kock Records as Opener in IPL
| MATCHES | RUNS | AVERAGE | STRIKE RATE | 50 | 100 | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 2256 | 31.33 | 130.93 | 16 | 1 | 108 |
Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of LSG, has already cleared his intentions ahead of the season. Gambhir said he would want Rahul to be “fearless” in his approach and because of that, he would get all the freedom.
“Any captain should learn to take risks. I would want Rahul to take risks and, unless you take calculated risks, you won’t know if you would succeed or not. Also, this time, Quinton de Kock will be our wicketkeeper, so with no keeping duties, he can be free and relaxed, concentrating on his batting and leadership,” Gambhir said.
Middle Order
Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis & Deepak Hooda
Manish Pandey, whose strike rate has been a matter of concern in the last two seasons is likely to get a nod at number 3 for LSG. Pandey at No. 3, will allow Rahul to play attacking cricket in powerplay alongside de Kock, leaving Pandey to hold the other end, if the top order collapses.
The KL Rahul-led side has got a plethora of all-rounders in their squad, a privilege that no other team has.
Marcus Stoinis, an excellent all-around option will bat at number 4, followed by Deepak Hooda at 5. Stoinis is a serious pace hitter, who can also bowl cutters that can be useful in death overs, while Hooda will bat at No.5 and also can chip in with some off-spin.
Manish Pandey Records at Number Three Batting Position in IPL
| MATCHES | RUNS | AVERAGE | STRIKE RATE | 50 | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1845 | 34.16 | 125.25 | 14 | 94 |
Finishers
Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham
Coming to the finishers, LSG has got some experienced chaps in their squad. Krunal Pandya used to do the finishing job for Mumbai Indians until last season and this year, he is expected to do the same along with K Gowtham and Jason Holder.
Holder, besides batting, can bowl in power plays and death overs too. He mostly troubles the batters with his high release point. Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya and off-spinner K Gowtham are other bowling options available for Lucknow Super Giants.
Bowlers
Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Dushmantha Chameera
England quick Mark Wood has been ruled out of the entire season with an elbow injury sustained in the West Indies and hence Dushmantha Chameera is likely to handle the pace attack along with Avesh Khan.
Ravi Bishnoi, on the other hand, will lead the spin attack for them. His unreadable googlies pose problems for batters. He will be one of the key bowlers alongside Avesh Khan in the team.
Ravi Bishnoi Records in IPL
| MATCHES | OVERS | Wickets | Economy | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 87 | 24 | 6.96 | 3/24 |
Avesh Khan Records in IPL
| MATCHES | OVERS | Wickets | Economy | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 91 | 29 | 8.23 | 3/13 |
Lucknow Super Giants Strength:
Indian Core
One of the key reasons behind the success of Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders’ winning many IPL titles has been the fact that these teams had a solid Indian core.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants are following their directions, having an Indian core with KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, and Avesh Khan. All of them can win games on their own.
Plethora Of All-Rounders
All-rounders are the real assets for a team, as they score runs and also chip in with some overs, offering resilience to the team. Lucknow Super Giants have 5 all-rounders in their potential playing 11, a luxury that no other team enjoys.
Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Jason Holder, K Gowtham and Krunal Pandya, of them, are proven match-winners and can provide depth to the batting line-up along with some useful overs with the ball.
Lucknow Super Giants Weakness:
No Reliable Pace Attack
The unavailability of Mark Wood poses a problem for the KL Rahul led side, as Avesh Khan is still young and needs a reliable partner to bowl in death. Dushmanta Chameera, who is likely to replace Wood in LSG’s playing XI isn’t a reliable option either as he has no prior experience of playing in IPL.
Lucknow Super Giants Squad For IPL 2022:
KL Rahul (C), Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Andrew Tye, Quinton De Kock, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, Evin Lewis, Dushmanta Chameera, K. Gowtham, Kyle Mayers, Shahbaz Nadeem, Ankit Singh, Karan Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Manan Vohra.
Coaching Staff:
- Andy Flower [Head coach]
- Vijay Dahiya [Assistant coach]
- Gautam Gambhir [Mentor]
- Andy Bichel [Bowling coach]
