Lucknow Super Giants will search for their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) Trophy with a new captain Rishabh Pant. LSG made headlines when they secured the services of Pant with Rs 27 crore–the highest in IPL history after Delhi Capitals released Pant.
LSG also secured the services of Akash Deep, David Miller, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh and before that they had retained Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Nicholas Pooran, and Ayush Badoni.
LSG now have a great local bowling attack which can help them to strengthen their batting unit by giving overseas players a go.
Squad:
Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke.
Key players:
Pooran:
Pooran will be the key player for LSG when it comes to batting. He has scored 857 runs in 29 matches for LSG so far and his strike rate is 175.97. If anything, the new captain and the side will hope that the West Indian batter keeps up the great form.
Ravi Bishnoi:
Since the likes of Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan are all currently at NCA waiting for the approval, Ravi will play a key role in the bowling lineup, given how good he was in the Champions Trophy, it will give him all the confidence he needs.
Strength:
With Rishabh Pant at the forefront, LSG’s batting lineup seems to be strong. There is enough firepower during the middle and death overs thanks to the presence of power hitters like Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, and Nicholas Pooran. The lineup is further strengthened by Aiden Markram’s ability to anchor the innings.
All-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, who provide balance to the team, are particularly advantageous due to their versatility. Shahbaz Ahmed contributes with the bat and as a useful spin-bowling option, adding even more depth. In addition, LSG has a lot of spin depth. Shahbaz Ahmed’s left-arm orthodox bowling and Ravi.
Weakness:
The fast-bowling unit of LSG seems susceptible because of injury worries. Important pacers like Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, and Akash Deep are either still recovering from injuries or have not yet joined the team. Because of this, the pace department is comparatively inexperienced and vulnerable.
The squad is also heavily reliant on their top order. Big-hitting players like Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant are at the top, so any early dismissals could reveal a middle order that is a little erratic, especially if Mitchell Marsh or David Miller don’t deliver.
Schedule:
March 24 – vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
March 27 – vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
April 1 – vs Punjab Kings (PBKS)
April 4 – vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
April 6 – vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
April 12 – vs Gujarat Titans (GT)
April 14 – vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
April 19 – vs Rajasthan Royals (RR)
April 22 – vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
April 27 – vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
May 4 – vs Punjab Kings (PBKS)
May 9 – vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
May 14 – vs Gujarat Titans (GT)
May 18 – vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
LSG has the potential to build one of the most formidable middle order in IPL history. Power hitters like David Miller, Nicholas Pooran, and Rishabh
Pant provides them access to some of the game’s most devastating hitters. Opposing teams will be under tremendous pressure against this explosive squad if the exceptionally skilled Abdul Samad gets his stride.
