IPL 2023 LSG preview: Lucknow Super Giants have batting firepower but death bowling is a concern

LSG IPL 2023 Preview: Not many would have expected Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs last season in their debut year. IPL 2022 was a rather unpredictable one, an edition that even produced the most unique results (with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians finishing ninth and 10^th respectively).

In IPL 2022, LSG narrowly missed out on the top two spot, missing out to Rajasthan Royals (RR), as both teams ended on 18 points from 14 games. Rajasthan Royals, however, had a superior NRR of +0.298, compared to LSG’s +0.251, and had Lucknow finished in the top two, they, like any team finishing in the top two, would have got an extra shot at making the final.

Also read: Lucknow Super Giants factbox

However, LSG faltered in the playoffs, but not without giving a fight. They were set a target of 208 by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), but even then, crucial contributions from KL Rahul (79) and Deepak Hooda (45) were just not enough, with LSG falling short by 14 runs.

LSG, though, went on to acquire as many as 10 players at the IPL 2023 player auction in Kochi last December, with West Indian Nicholas Pooran being their biggest buy at Rs 16 crore.

Apart from Pooran, LSG went on to acquire fellow West Indian Romario Shepherd, Australia’s Daniel Sams, Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq, Jaydev Unadkat among a few others.

Mark Wood also returns to the LSG setup, after missing the entirety of IPL 2022 with an injury.

Stunning view x SuperGiants = Swaad aa gaya