Lucknow Super Giants will enter the IPL 2024 as one of the strong contenders to win the coveted after reaching the playoffs in two consecutive seasons in 2022 and 2023. KL Rahul-led side made their IPL debut alongside Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022.
Gujarat Titans reached two consecutive finals, winning the maiden triumph in 2022 but Lucknow Super Giants couldn't go past the playoffs. They reached the eliminator twice in 2022 and 2023 but lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, respectively. However, Lucknow Super Giants proved that they were formidable contenders in the last two IPL seasons.
With the signing of Justin Langer as a head coach and the return of KL Rahul as a skipper, Lucknow Super Giants will be aiming to go beyond playoffs, especially Eliminator. Let's take a look at strengths and weaknesses of the team.
How did LSG perform in the IPL 2024 Auction?
Lucknow Super Giants did well at the IPL 2024 Auction as they managed to get targetted players on the board. LSG spent INR 4.2 crore to acquire the services of young Indian pacer Shivam Mavi, while they bought M Siddharth for INR 2.4 crore at the auction.
LSG also brought Ashton Turner (INR 1 crore), David Willey (INR 2 crore), Mohammed Arshad Khan (INR 20 lakh) at the IPL 2024 Auction in order to strengthen their bench.
Ahead of IPL 2024 Auction, Lucknow Super Giants did a trade deal with Rajasthan Royals. The franchise parted ways with Indian pacer Avesh Khan in exchange of talented Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal in order to strengthened their batting line-up for the upcoming IPL season.
Meanwhile, LSG signed up West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph as a replacement Mark Wood for INR 6.4 crore ahead of IPL 2024.
Formidable batting line-up for Lucknow Super Giants
The Lucknow Super Giants have a strong batting line-up that can challenge the opposition team's bowlers. The return of KL Rahul is a significant boost to LSG's batting as he can anchor the innings and partner with Quinton de Kock at the top.
The top order is followed up with explosiveness of Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis. Pooran and Stoinis can stabilize the middle-order and can unleash their firepower, which will be a major threat for the players. Devdutt Padikkal is likely to get into the playing XI as it strengths the top-order.
Another talented batter Arshin Kulkarni can be too considered for playing XI as he has performed well in domestic cricket and his experience of playing in the Indian conditions would benefit him as well as the team.
Lack of spin bowling options
One of the main weaknesses of Lucknow Super Giants is the lack of spin bowling options. The only reliable spin bowler in the team is Ravi Bishnoi, who picked 16 wickets in 15 matches in last IPL season.
Spin bowling line-up is unable to match LSG's star-studded line-up. In the last IPL season, only Bishnoi was an impactful spinner while Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham and Amit Mishra had unforgettable outing due to lacklustre performances.
The signing of M Siddartha was crucial for Lucknow Super Giants as it will provide a spin bowling option who can complacent Ravi Bishnoi in the middle overs. LSG need to fix their spin bowling conundrum in order to restrict the flow of runs in the middle overs.
What to expect from LSG in IPL 2024?
Lucknow Super Giants is likely to be posed as one of the strong contenders to win the title in this IPL season. LSG will look to start off the season with a bang and try to build momentum early on.
Their batting and pace-bowling line-ups are good but they need to fix the issue in spin bowling unit, with Ravi Bishnoi being the only reliable bowler. Krunal Pandya and K Gowtham need to step up for the team otherwise either of them will lose their place in the team to M Siddharth.
Overall, Lucknow Super Giants squad is looking balanced, with a mixture of experienced and youngsters.
