IPL 2022: 3 reasons why Lucknow Super Giants can win and 2 reasons why they may not
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set for their debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the upcoming season. IPL 2022 will feature 10 teams for the first time since 2011, with LSG and Gujarat Titans (GT) being the new additions.
The Lucknow Super Giants had a solid performance at the mega auction in February, having entered with KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Ravi Bishnoi already signed up. With Rahul being appointed skipper, LSG went about the auction in a prudent manner, acquiring a number of multi-skilled players.
The Lucknow Super Giants will make their IPL debut against fellow first-timers Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium on March 28.
3 biggest strengths of Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022
Most experts think that the Lucknow Super Giants had a good IPL 2022 auction, particularly for a franchise that was making its debut. It's tough to argue against that notion because of the caliber of talent they managed to assemble.
Have the Lucknow Super Giants done enough on the auction table to head into the upcoming season as favorites? We take a look at three reasons that support that idea.
#1 All-round prowess
Explaining the reasoning behind picking Rahul, Stoinis, and Bishnoi prior to the IPL 2022 auction, team owner Dr Sanjiv Goenka stated that LSG were focused on players with multiple skills.
That strategy clearly extended into the player auction also, with a host of all-rounders at the team's disposal. Jason Holder, Quinton de Kock, and Kyle Mayers were picked for this reason among the overseas players, while Deepak Hooda, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Krunal Pandya were taken for the same reason from the the pool of Indian cricketers.
Factor in the likes of Bishnoi, Manish Pandey, and Hooda being agile on the field and this is as good as it gets with regards to all-round depth. Plenty of bowling options and enough batting depth. Surely, Lucknow are one of the most well-rounded teams heading into IPL 2022!
#2 Match-winners galore
KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder - the list goes on. Who can deny that the Lucknow Super Giants boast of a plethora of match-winners at their disposal?
On a given day, any of the aforementioned individuals can take the game away from the opposition. What makes this unit all the more threatening is that the support cast is as solid as they come.
This could free up the players to express themselves without worry, sending a strong message to the other teams in the tournament.
You'd have to write off a squad with this much talent at your own peril. Should the likes of Rahul, de Kock, or Holder blaze away, it's going to take some stopping them!
#3 Versatility of the squad
The Lucknow Super Giants' varied talent pool makes it a potent unit irrespective of what the conditions might offer in IPL 2022. It is expected that the surfaces across Mumbai and Pune will have loads of runs in store. But movement with the new ball and spin in the latter stages of the competition is likely for the bowlers.
As far as their bowlers are concerned, LSG have velocity in the form of Avesh Khan and Dushmantha Chameera, notwithstanding the loss of Mark Wood to injury. Ankit Rajpoot can swing the new ball while Jason Holder can operate at any phase of the innings and use his height to great effect. Lastly, there's the local lad Mohsin Khan who brings in the left-armer's angle.
Spin-wise, the team is well stocked with off-spin options in Krishnappa Gowtham and Deepak Hooda, a left-arm spinner in Krunal Pandya and a leggie in Ravi Bishnoi.
When one looks at their batting strength, their abilities against both pace and spin make it a well-rounded squad. Needless to say, this versatility will serve the Lucknow Super Giants well. It is this versatility that makes them one of the favorites for the title.
2 reasons why LSG aren't favorites
There are a couple of factors that weigh against KL Rahul's men though. Let's take a look at them now.
#1 Can the new franchise's players gel together?
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Being a new franchise, LSG does have a number of players coming together for the first time. In previous seasons, it has been seen that a newly assembled set of players take time to hit the ground running.
Thus, given that the Lucknow Super Giants team is new, it could well take some time for the players to buy into the values of the franchise. Gelling together and knowing each other's game is a challenge that the players and the team management face first-up.
The sooner that is sorted out, the quicker things would click into place on the field. However, should that take more time, in a fast-paced tournament featuring nine other teams, this could weigh against LSG. This is a factor that raises a question mark over the team's prospects in IPL 2022.
#2 Thin bench strength
With a squad of 21, the Lucknow Super Giants have the thinnest roster of all teams in IPL 2022. It has taken a further hit with the injured Mark Wood being forced to withdraw from the competition.
While Dushmantha Chameera serves as a more than able backup for Wood, the franchise will be keen on signing a replacement soon. Apart from Wood's absence, the Lucknow Super Giants didn't fill the maximum eight overseas slots that were available at the IPL 2022 auction.
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Evin Lewis is as solid a backup as they come for Quinton de Kock, but happens to be prone to injuries. Barring de Kock and skipper Rahul, LSG don't have a wicket-keeping option on the bench. While the Indian players in the reserve come with a lot of promise, they don't have much experience in the tournament.
This makes it imperative for Lucknow Super Giants' first XI to click in unison and stay injury-free. A failure in this aspect could put their campaign on the line and bring new combinations into the picture. Should that not click on the battlefield soon enough, things could end up going pear-shaped in their debut season.