Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) qualified for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition but failed to display their best in the crucial eliminator match against Mumbai Indians (MI), losing the contest by 81 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Forgetting their previous failure, LSG will look to play their best cricket in 2024 and lift the coveted trophy for the first time.
In the 2023 competition, their skipper KL Rahul (injury exit) and his deputy Krunal Pandya were out of form, but the franchise won’t lose faith in the big players, and they are likely to feature on the team’s retention list. Unlike both senior players, some other non-performers might not be fortunate as they may find their names on their team's release list.
Here are the top three players that LSG might release ahead of the 2024 season:
3. Manan Vohra
With openers such as KL Rahul, Kyle Mayers, and Quinton de Kock in the LSG squad, the franchise might release Manan Vohra before the IPL 2024 auction. Back in 2022, the 30-year-old was picked up by Super Giants for his basic amount of INR 20 lakh.
In the 2022 season, he became a part of LSG’s playing XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the playoff game at Eden Gardens. Appearing in the marquee contest, he came at number three and contributed only 19 off 11. In 2023, He played his only game of the season against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after skipper KL Rahul’s injury and hit 10 runs off 11 balls.
Vohra exuded confidence with his bat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023-24. Scoring 254 runs in seven contests with an average of 50.25, he became the leading run-getter for Chandigarh in the competition. Despite the 30-year-old’s decent batting display in the domestic tournament, LSG might part ways with him as the team management is finding it difficult to induct a match-winner like De Kock in the playing XI, with the presence of Rahul and Mayers.
2. Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat was picked up at his base amount of INR 50 lakh by LSG in the IPL 2023 auction. He was expected to be impactful with the ball in the season as he possesses a lot of experience in domestic cricket and the cash-rich league. Before the 2023 auction, the pacer looked disciplined with the ball, grabbing nine wickets in seven matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022-23.
However, the India stalwart failed to showcase his best in the league. Appearing in three matches for Lucknow, he gave away 92 runs in his eight overs. In his first game against Delhi Capitals (DC), he bowled a three-over spell and splurged 39 runs without getting any scalps.
The speedster was dropped from LSG’s playing XI after the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the crucial game, he recorded 0/27 figures in his two overs. Undakat has failed to prove himself in the league consistently, which could convince the LSG team management that he is an unreliable figure to strengthen their team’s bowling attack.
Also see: 3 players RR might release ahead of IPL 2024
1. Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda faced a lot of criticism during IPL 2023 for failing with his bat. As a batter, his responsibility was to reinforce Lucknow’s middle order but he couldn’t do much for the team. In 12 matches, the 28-year-old scored only 84 runs at an extremely low average of 7.63.
In the IPL 2022 auction, Super Giants acquired Hooda at INR 5.75 crore and he notched up 451 runs in 15 games of the 15th IPL season. Hooda looked decent with his bat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023-24, scoring 179 runs for Rajasthan.
Despite witnessing his fine performance for Rajasthan, LSG might not be convinced to retain him for the 2024 season. However, the right-handed batter will look to be among the runs in the upcoming domestic tournaments and grab the attention of the LSG team management.
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