Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made their Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2022, with Gujarat Titans (GT). In the last two years, GT played quality cricket and emerged as a huge brand while the Lucknow-based franchise qualified for the playoffs both times but choked in the eliminator matches.
In 2024, the KL Rahul-led side will look to play a fierce brand of cricket to break into the list of IPL champions chart. Before the tournament, Super Giants got rid of some non-performing players and added six new names to the squad in the 2024 IPL auction held in Dubai. Among six buys, five are bowlers which indicates that Lucknow’s focus at the business event was to strengthen their bowling unit for the upcoming IPL edition.
Shivam Mavi was Lucknow’s costliest buy as the franchise spent INR 6.40 crore to reserve his services. England pacer David Willey and Australia off-spinner Ashton Turner were picked up by the franchise for INR 2 crore and 1 crore respectively. After watching the spectacular auction, it’s time to do the SWOT analysis of LSG.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Strengths
Strong batting unit:
Super Giants have a solid batting line-up that consists of players like Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, and Ayush Badoni. In 2023, Mayers made his IPL debut with a bang, hitting 379 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 144.10. De Kock also looked exceptional with his bat in the 2023 World Cup. They also traded Devdutt Padikkal from Rajasthan Royals (RR). The left-handed batter also exuded cofidence for Karnataka in the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy held recently.
Exceptional power-hitters:
Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis are known for causing chaos in opposite teams with their power-hitting potential. Pooran displayed his batting mettle against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2023, playing a swashbuckling knock of 62 off just 19. Stoinis is known for flexing muscles in the final overs of innings and winning matches for his side. Riding on their spunky batting attitude, Lucknow can snatch matches from the jaws of defeat.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Weaknesses
Low-quality pace attack:
Despite fetching pacers like Mavi and Willey in the auction, LSG’s pace attack lacks quality. Except for Mark Wood, no other speedster guarantees exceptional numbers with the ball consistently. Mavi played his last IPL season back in 2022 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and in that too, he struggled to be among the wickets. In the upcoming competition, young pacemen such as Mohsin Khan and Yash Thakur will have to step up and deliver effective bowling performances to the side.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Opportunities
Competition among youngsters to erect their spots in the team:
In the LSG squad, there will be a lot of competition among young players to win the confidence of the team management. Young pacers such as Mohsin Khan, Mavi, and Arshad Khan will look to display their best and become an essential elements of the side. This healthy competition might benefit Lucknow in the tournament.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Threats
Overreliance on foreign players:
Lucknow’s 2024 squad reveals that they are heavily banking on foreign players. In 2023, when Mark Wood left the league without completing the second half of the tournament, Lucknow’s bowling unit looked completely ordinary. If the English stalwart does the same in 2024, the quality of LSG’s pace attack will slump as they didn’t target wicket-taking pacers in the auction.
Similarly, if Quinton de Kock or Kyle Mayers fail to play the entire tournament, KL Rahul will have to take up the opening role which could disturb the combination of the team.
Also check: CSK Team SWOT Analysis 2024
from IPL Live Score | IPL News, IPL 2024 Updates, Squads & Results - CricTracker