3 players LSG should not use as impact players in IPL 2023
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were one of the two new franchises introduced in IPL 2022. They finished third on the points table in their maiden season. However, they lost to RCB by 14 runs in the Eliminator.
The KL Rahul-led franchise have assembled a very impressive squad ahead of the upcoming edition of the IPL. Their major buy at the auction was Nicholas Pooran for ₹16 crores.
A new rule called the 'Impact Player' has been introduced for the IPL's 2023 season, which will allow teams to make one tactical substitution during the match.
It will be interesting to see how the rule's introduction changes the game tactically and the players that LSG will use for the role. Here, we look at 3 players they should not utilize as impact substitutes.
#1 Karan Sharma
Karan Sharma was signed by the franchise for a base price of ₹20 lakhs at the IPL mega auction last year. He played just one game in which he scored four runs off four deliveries against the Gujarat Titans, batting at number 4.
The Uttar Pradesh all-rounder has played 18 T20 matches, scoring 544 runs at an average of 38.85 and a strike rate of 125.63. He has also picked up 10 wickets in 18 matches at an economy rate of 6.44 with his off-spin.
While the 24-year-old batting all-rounder has looked promising in these outings, he does not possess a unique skill that the starting XI lacks. LSG already have a fair number of spin-bowling all-rounders.
#2 Yudhvir Singh Charak
The Jammu-born bowling all-rounder was picked up by the Lucknow-based franchise at this year's auction for ₹20 lakhs. He made his T20 debut in November 2019 and has played 14 matches since then. He was also a part of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2021.
Charak has picked up only four wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 9.75 and a bowling average of 89. He has not been impactful with the bat either, scoring just 64 runs in 10 innings.
While the fast bowler has shown glimpses of talent at the domestic level, he is still in the development stage of his career. LSG would be better off giving guidance to his growth in the nets before thrusting him in as an 'Impact Player'.
#3 Manan Vohra
Manan Vohra was signed by LSG for a base price of ₹20 lakhs at the IPL mega auction last year. He has a fair bit of experience in the IPL, scoring 1073 runs in 50 innings at an average of 22.35 and a strike rate of 131.17.
However, he played only one innings last year for LSG, scoring 19 off 11 balls vs RCB in the Eliminator. Since 2018, he has only played 10 matches in the tournament.