Being a new franchise to the IPL, Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) have done a very good job in forming their squad for the next three years. They had earlier retained KL Rahul for ₹17cr, Marcus Stoinis for ₹9.2cr and Ravi Bishnoi for ₹4cr.
In the auctions, their strategy was very good. They didn't spend high amount of money on a lot of players but were instead calculative and spent money rightly for many quality players. They did a fine job in their maiden auctions.
LSG Squad:
Let's have a look at their squad first whom were purchased at the auctions.
Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey, Jason Holder, KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajpoot, K Gowtham, Dushmanta Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Evin Lewis, Mayank Yadav and B Sai Sudharsan.
It looks a very good and balanced squad. Most of their players are young, fit and good to go for the next 3 years. To buy players who can definitely be available for the next 3 years is a good decision.
Overseas buys:
They bought some quality overseas players. Quinton De Kock at ₹6.25cr is one of the steals. He can keep wickets and give quick starts at the top. He can also be an anchor and play long innings. Kyle Mayers for ₹50L is also a handy option as he can give many options.
Jason Holder at ₹8.75cr is a very good buy as well. He could bowl at any stage and can play some cameos lower the order. Mark Wood at ₹7.50cr is also a good buy. He's someone who has raw pace, which can trouble the batters.
Dushmantha Chameera at ₹2cr is a good buy as well. He's an improved bowler over the years, who can bowl overs upfront. Evin Lewis at ₹2cr is another steal. He's someone who can go bonkers at the top.
Indian capped buys:
Apart from good overseas players, they also bought some quality Indian capped players. Manish Pandey at ₹4.6cr is a pretty good option. He's someone who can anchor the innings in the middle order and is a fantastic fielder.
Deepak Hooda at ₹5.75cr is also a good option. He's someone who can bat anywhere in the middle and lower middle order. He can also bowl some overs. Krunal Pandya at ₹8.25cr is a bit overpriced. But still, he provides some balance to the side with his all-round capabilities.
Avesh Khan at ₹10cr might seem a bit overpriced as well. But with current form in his side, the management would be hoping to get the most from him. Krishnappa Gowtham at ₹90L is a good buy considering his skill sets. Shahbaz Nadeem at ₹50L gives them a left arm orthodox spinner option.
Indian uncapped buys:
They bought some exciting Indian talents. Manan Vohra is an experienced IPL player. Getting him at ₹20L is an absolute steal and he might prove to be a very good option if given an opportunity. They also got Mohsin Khan at #20L, which is pretty good as well.
Apart from them, they also got Ankit Rajpoot at ₹50L. He's a good bowler. The likes of Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Mayank Yadav and B Sai Sudarshan are some youngsters who were brought at ₹20L respectively.
Playing XI:
After going through the squad, here's the most probable playing XI of LSG :
Kl Rahul (C)
Quinton De Kock (WK)
Manish Pandey
Marcus Stoinis
Deepak Hooda
Krunal Pandya
Jason Holder
Krishnappa Gowtham
Ravi Bishnoi
Mark Wood
Avesh Khan
The pair of KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock is probably the best opening pair on paper in the league. While KL can bat through the innings, Quinton De Kock can be at his aggressive best. Between them, the team gets their captain and wicketkeeper as well.
The middle order consists of quality players like Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis and Deepak Hooda. Pandey can bat through the innings and can help others bat around him. Deepak Hooda and Marcus Stoinis can be at their aggressive best. They can also bowl some overs, which is good to have.
The lower middle order consists of good players like Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder and Krishnappa Gowtham. Krunal and Gowtham can give you 4 overs regularly and can play some crucial cameos. Jason Holder of late has been a good package as a bowling All-rounder.
To assist them would be the genuine bowlers like Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan and Mark Wood. Bishnoi is an economical bowler and a wicket taking leggie too. Avesh Khan can bowl at any stage and has proven himself in the last season. Mark Wood with his raw pace brings different variety to the attack.
Overall, they've a very good squad. Their starting XI also looks good. It needs to be seen how well they would perform.
