3 tactical mistakes LSG have repeatedly made in IPL 2023
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have had an indifferent start to their 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.
KL Rahul and Co. have a talented squad featuring a plethora of match-winners, apart from their clear home advantage. However, they have managed to win only four of their seven games thus far.
The Super Giants are placed third in the points table with a net run rate of +0.547, but the tight nature of the league means that they can slip down at any time.
LSG's think tank comprises distinguished names like Gautam Gambhir and Andy Flower. However, they haven't been anywhere near their best from a tactical standpoint. Lucknow have made several questionable decisions this year, with their results reflecting their underachievement.
Here are three tactical mistakes LSG have repeatedly made in IPL 2023.
#3 KL Rahul's intent at the top of the order has been questionable
Some damning statistics regarding KL Rahul have surfaced in recent times. The opening batter has never been known for his attacking intent on a consistent basis, despite possessing a repertoire of shots all around the ground.
Out of the 26 times Rahul has played more than 50 balls in an IPL innings, his team has ended up on the losing side as many as 12 times. These numbers get worse when he bats in the second innings. Looking at his strike rate, it's easy to see why.
Rahul hasn't had a strike rate above 140 in any of his IPL campaigns since 2018,. The metric has dropped to an abysmal 113.91 this year (his lowest in a season since 2015).
While some of that can be attributed to the slow surface at the Ekana Stadium, the LSG skipper has played some terrible innings on friendly wickets as well.
It's clear that Rahul's approach at the top of the order hurts every team he is a part of, but he has steadfastly refused to accept that. He's been eating up balls in the powerplay and in the middle overs, leaving the players around him with the unwanted task of compensating for his negative impact.
#2 LSG have got their usage of Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya and Marcus Stoinis all wrong
Entry points and matchups play a big role in modern-day T20 cricket, and LSG have got a lot of decisions wrong so far.
Ayush Badoni and Krunal Pandya have been moved up the order at will, although neither batter is known to be a capable top-order option. While Badoni has an average of 17 and a strike rate of 130 this year, Krunal has managed just 103 runs in seven innings at an average of 20.6 and a strike rate of 115.73.
Another player who has been used out of position is Marcus Stoinis. The Aussie all-rounder has clear limitations against spin, but the Super Giants haven't protected him from that style of bowling. In fact, they've even promoted him up the order to face spin ahead of the likes of Nicholas Pooran.
In an ideal world, all three of Stoinis, Badoni and Krunal should be used in the middle order. While Badoni could be an option at No. 5, the other two should bat even lower than him. So who will bat at No. 4 then?
#1 Nicholas Pooran's talent isn't being harnessed to the fullest
Signed for a whopping ₹16 crore at the IPL 2023 auction, Nicholas Pooran fixes two clear holes in the LSG roster.
The first is the absence of a left-hander to take on left-arm spinners and leg-spinners, something Pooran is excellent at. The West Indian is an excellent spin-hitter who is also quite capable of shining against pace, making him a unique T20 package.
The other is to bolster the middle order and allow the likes of Stoinis and Badoni to flourish lower down the order. If Pooran can keep the momentum going in the middle overs, LSG will be able to capitalize at the death.
Unfortunately, though, Pooran has batted at No. 4 only once in IPL 2023. He has come in at No. 6 four times, and although his numbers are great, he's too good a player to be used as a finisher. The southpaw even came in at No. 7 once, which is totally inexcusable.
Pooran is a top-four batter in this LSG side and should be used that way. If Lucknow are to turn their IPL 2023 season around and perform to their potential, they will need to harness every ounce of talent possessed by the left-hander.