5 LSG players who have played for PBKS in IPL
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made their way to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022 when two new teams were added to the tournament. Both LSG and Gujarat Titans (GT), the second team that was added, have had memorable campaigns at the cash-rich event so far.
LSG finished third in the points table at the IPL 2022 and the year next, making it to the playoffs twice in a row. They will be looking to seal a spot in the final four at IPL 2024, to make it to the summit clash this time around.
Their start to the IPL this year wasn’t ideal, as they lost their campaign opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what turned out to be a great fight. Led by KL Rahul, they will now be looking to open their account when they take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 11th match of the tournament.
LSG’s squad for IPL 2024 consists of several players who have previously represented PBKS and will be gearing up to take on their former side. In this article, we look at five current LSG players who have previously represented PBKS in their IPL careers.
#1 Prerak Mankad
LSG batter Prerak Mankad rose to the limelight in IPL 2023 in the 58th game of the tournament when his side locked horns with the 2016 champions SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). The Rajkot-born cricketer was roped in by LSG at his base price of ₹20 lakh during the IPL 2023 auction.
Mankad, who has solid numbers in domestic cricket, was a part of the IPL in 2022 and made his debut for PBKS. Unfortunately, he could not make an impact. He plied his trade for Lucknow next year, and rose to the occasion when given the chance.
Mankad batted in the top order at No. 3 and played a worthy knock of a 45-ball 64* against SunRisers Hyderabad, thereby helping his side finish off the 183-run chase successfully and win the match by seven wickets. He was the top run-scorer for LSG and hit seven fours and a couple of sixes at 142.22.
#2 Nicholas Pooran
West Indies cricketer Nicholas Pooran made his IPL debut with the Punjab-based franchise in 2019. He was then roped in by SRH at the IPL 2022 mega auction, but an average season led to the Hyderabad outfit parting ways with him.
LSG then acquired Pooran at the 2023 auction, paying a hefty sum of ₹16 crore. The wicketkeeper-batter proved the big paycheck, as he played several crucial knocks to help his side win important matches.
The 28-year-old was clinical in LSG’s IPL 2024 campaign opener against Rajasthan but his unbeaten 41-ball 64 went in vain as his side fell short of 20 runs while chasing the 193-run target. Pooran will hope to carry the same momentum against his former team.
#3 Ravi Bishnoi
One of the finest spinners in India’s white-ball setup, Ravi Bishnoi has been a key member of LSG’s squad since 2022. Notably, the youngster started his IPL career with PBKS in 2020 but shifted bases after the 2022 mega auction, which brought about major changes for many teams.
Bishnoi picked up 12 wickets for PBKS in his maiden IPL outing and soon became the talk of the town. He had successful seasons with the Punjab-based team, and his efforts paid rich dividends when LSG doubled his value tag, thereby getting his services for ₹4 crore.
So far, throughout his three seasons with LSG, Bishnoi has scalped 30 wickets in as many matches. He’s now a regular in LSG’s playing XI and would be hoping to have another successful season with an aim to make it to India’s T20 World Cup squad.
#4 Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda has been a part of the IPL since 2015. He was a part of PBKS’ squad in 2020 and 2021 before he moved to LSG in 2022. He started his IPL career with RR before moving to SRH and then to PBKS.
Hooda’s maiden stint with the LSG helped him earn an international call-up as he made his India debut against the West Indies in 2022. Soon after his ODI debut, Hooda was part of India’s T20I squad that faced Sri Lanka that year.
Hooda went on to hit his maiden T20I century when India toured Ireland that year, which helped him make his way into India’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad. With the next 20-over World Cup approaching, Hooda would want to put on a show in the ongoing IPL and make a case for himself.
#5 KL Rahul
KL Rahul made his IPL debut in 2013 and has been a part of the Lucknow Super Giants since the team’s induction in 2022. LSG paid a humungous sum of ₹17 crore to get Rahul’s services before eventually naming him the team’s captain.
KL Rahul represented PBKS for four years, when the latter brought the cricketer for ₹11 crore. Rahul took up PBKS’ captaincy duties in 2021 but his failure to help the side win a title led to Rahul parting ways with them.
What he couldn’t achieve with PBKS, Rahul achieved with LSG. He has been a phenomenal leader of the side and his efforts have been visible. While handling captaincy duties brilliantly, Rahul also notched up two centuries to finish with 616 runs in 15 matches.