LSG Hits & Misses:The Lucknow Super Giants qualified for the playoffs twice in two years. They finished with 17 points in the league stage winning 8 games out of 14 with one match being rained out. LSG finished third on the points table and featured in the eliminator. For the second year in a row, they lost out in the eliminator to bow out from the tournament. LSG will look back at the tournament with bittersweet memories. They could have progressed further but they gave the impression that they overachieved.
The pre-tournament expectations:
LSG presented a strong case in IPL 2022 in what was their first year in the tournament. KL Rahul led side made it to the playoffs on the back of a strong bowling and top-order batting. LSG acquired Nicholas Pooran to add muscle to their middle order. They expected to have the services of tearaway fast bowler Mark Wood for this season. LSG on paper did appear a side that had all its bases covered. Another top-four finish was surely on the cards.
What were the hits for LSG?
#1 Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran
The middle order was a soft area for LSG last season. It was up to KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock at the top of the order along with Deepak Hooda at 3 who had to do the bulk of the scoring last season. It was the exact opposite this season where the middle order did the heavy lifting.
Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran powered LSG to above-par scores whenever they got going. The chase against RCB at Chinnaswamy was about these two as they belted bowlers to all parts of the ground. Stoinis and Pooran carried the burden of the batting order on their shoulders for the majority of the season.
#2 A solid bowling unit
LSG similar to the other new team GT has assembled a solid bowling unit. Mark Wood picked up a fiery fiver in the very first league game against DC this year. Naveen-ul-Haq stepped in beautifully on surfaces that stayed low. Yash Thakur an uncapped Indian bowler seamlessly joined the mix.
LSG hardly ever missed the services of Avesh Khan who struggled with poor form and fitness. Mohsin Khan showed glimpses of why he is rated so highly. Ravi Bishnoi continued to impress while LSG used Amit Mishra sparingly and effectively.
What were the misses for LSG?
#1 Their captains
It was the form of their captains that proved to be their biggest undoing this season. KL Rahul their regular skipper couldn’t fire in the games he featured in. He was ruled out midway through the tournament owing to an injury. His absence at that stage though was viewed as a blessing in disguise. Krunal Pandya was LSG’s stand-in skipper in the latter half. He did try his best to lead his troops but never gave the feeling of being in control. LSG needs to answer tough questions on this aspect.
#2 LSG’s domestic batting talent
The likes of Ayush Badoni showed good promise last season. But he failed to develop this year. LSG kept persisting with Badoni trying him out in different positions but the results didn’t meet expectations. Deepak Hooda had a terrible season. His numbers did not sit well on someone who represented India in the T20 World Cup last year. It is one of the main reasons why LSG failed once again in the eliminator stage.
What is next for LSG?
LSG’s overseas stars championed the campaign for them this season. Their domestic batting talent didn’t fire this year. LSG will need to fix this area in the upcoming seasons. If they manage to bring this house in order they are looking at a promising next few seasons.
