One of the new franchises Lucknow Super Giants did an excellent job in the IPL 2022 mega auction and they managed to pick a squad that boasted of a lot of all-rounders and match winners. The Indian contingent was spot on for the franchise as they came into the mega auction with purse money left of 59 Crores and they have made the best out of it. A lot of experts had rated their auction strategy to be among the top.
Lucknow retained the likes of KL Rahul (INR 17 crore), Marcus Stonis (INR 9.2 crore) and uncapped Ravi Bishnoi (INR 4 crore) and it turned out to be a huge bonus as they sorted out the captaincy, wicketkeeper, all-rounder and a wrist spinner already. They roped in Gautam Gambhir as their mentor and Avesh Khan was the side’s most expensive player in the auction for INR 10 crore.
Best Starting XI for Lucknow Super Giants:
1. KL Rahul (c)
KL Rahul was retained by the Lucknow Super Giants franchise ahead of the mega auction and he will be leading the side as well. The right-hander has been one of the consistent batters in the last four seasons of IPL for the Punjab Kings and the added responsibility of captaincy has taken his batting to another level. He has the ability to play the anchor role as well as can be one of the most destructive batters going around.
Rahul will be relieved of the duties of wicketkeeping with de Kock in the side as a pure batter and the former will be able to express himself a lot more now. Opening the innings has been the preferred position for Rahul in the T20 format especially and he is likely to blend in well with mentor Gautam Gambhir in the side.
Rahul accumulated more than 500 runs in the last four seasons for the Punjab Kings and bagged the orange cap in IPL 2020. He had a staggering last season with 626 runs in 13 games at an average of 62.60 and finished as the third-highest run-getter in the race for the orange cap.
2. Quinton de Kock (wk)
Quinton de Kock was a steal buy for the Lucknow Super Giants from the marquee set in the IPL 2022 mega auction for INR 6.25 crore and he was expected to go above 10 crores at the start. The South African wicketkeeper created an intense bidding war among the franchises with Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals going after him and it has been one of the best picks by the Lucknow side.
De Kock will be partnering Rahul at the top with both the batters bringing in a left-right combination and he can certainly relieve the pressure on Rahul as well with some thunderous hitting. The 29-year-old recently announced his retirement from Tests and will be available for the complete tournament this year making him one of the most valuable buys.
Hewas with the Mumbai Indians in the previous three IPL seasons and proved to be a vital cog in the setup in their consecutive title-winning campaigns in 2020 and 2021. He is expected to be a 400 run bank at the top and with the tournament likely to be held in Mumbai, he will enjoy the ball coming onto the bat.
3. Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey was one of the costliest players in the previous auction in IPL 2018 and he has lost a bit of form over the years which settled him at INR 4.6 crore to the Lucknow Super Giants. The Karnataka lad attracted bids from his former franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Capitals.
Pandey has a decent IPL record and not to forget, he was the first Indian batter to score an IPL century as well. The right-hander has been captaining the Karnataka state in the domestic tournaments and he brings a lot of IPL experience. The 32-year-old lost his place in the Indian side and a good season here might push him up the rankings again.
Pandey wasn’t at his best in the previous seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad and was in and out of the side especially in the last season. His strike rate was under question but he has been among the runs in recent times and will enjoy playing the number three role for the Lucknow Super Giants.
4. Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda is one of the excellent buys for the Lucknow Super Giants as he was picked up for INR 5.75 crore after an intense bidding battle against the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The all-rounder recently made his international debut in the ODIs against West Indies and he had a bright season for the Punjab Kings in the previous IPL season. The right-hander can also contribute with the ball with his off-spin and he will add to the Indian contingent in the longer run.
Hooda is coming off a brilliant Syed Mushtaq Ali season where he amassed runs in every game and at an excellent strike rate as well. He is going to play a huge role in the batting lineup considering he can hit the maximums at ease and should consider playing those aggressive knocks for the side.
5. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis was retained ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction and it was one of the great moves from the franchise considering Stonis can be the right fit into the all-rounder role. The Australian can play anywhere in the batting order from opening to finishing the innings and brings a lot more versatility into the side.
He had two amazing seasons for the Delhi Capitals in 2020 and 2021 and proved to be a game-changer with both bat and ball. He has been playing the finisher role to perfection for the franchise and can stack up sixes at the back end of the innings. He becomes a vital cog in the middle order set up for the Lucknow franchise to take the side over the line.
Stoinis has been in really good form in the recent Big Bash League as well and he will like playing in the Wankhede pitches. He becomes a useful option in the death overs and should be one of the game-changers for the side in the upcoming IPL 2022 season.
6. Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya has been a useful addition to the Lucknow Super Giants side for INR 8.25 crore and he attracted a lot of bidding from franchises like Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in the mega auction. Mumbai Indians used their RTM card to buy back Pandya in the previous auction while they missed on him this time.
Krunal is one of the T20 specialists in India especially for his ability to read and assess the game in terms of bowling and batting. He chips in with economical overs with the new ball and can bat at anywhere in the lineup to bring in a left-hand option as well. He relies on speed variations and doesn’t look out to turn in the pitch.
He has been in the Mumbai Indians setup for a long time and he does know the conditions really well which will be an added advantage considering the IPL venue this time around. The 30-year-old is a street smart cricketer and will definitely feature in the playing XI for sure.
7. Jason Holder
Jason Holder was bagged up for a whopping INR 8.75 crore by the Lucknow Super Giants after an intense bidding war against the franchises of Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The West Indies all-rounder has been in phenomenal form in recent times in international T20Is and will play a huge role in the side.
He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous IPL season and he picked up 16 wickets in five games at an average of 15.43 and can certainly be a potent option in the death overs as well. The big man from the Caribbean is a sensation timer of the ball and can tonk it around in the last few overs.
Holder recently picked up a hattrick against England and looks in great rhythm with the ball especially. Coming in at seven, he can offer a lot to the side in terms of right balance and hardly drops catches. He is expected to make the first playing XI for the Lucknow Super Giants considering his all-around abilities.
8. K Gowtham
Krishanappa Gowtham was indeed a steal at 90 lakh for the Lucknow Super Giants as he was one of the most expensive players in the last IPL Auction. The right-hander can smack it around in the last few overs and is a proven performer in the domestic circuit and at times in IPL in the past.
Gowtham attracted two more franchises in Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals while he settled in at Lucknow franchise at the end. He is a utility player in terms of bowling his off-spin and can bowl with the new ball as well. The 33-year-old made his debut for India last year and he should be a great addition.
He will have a role to play in the side by stepping in for the fifth bowler quota alongside Krunal Pandya and the stint with Chennai Super Kings last year would have done a world of good for him as a player now. He can certainly win matches on his own with the bat especially and should look to play the role for the Lucknow side.
9. Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi was retained by the Lucknow Super Giants as the uncapped Indian bowler and he has been very impressive ever since making a mark in the U-19 World Cup for India. The leggie was expected to go for big money in the mega auction after having two good seasons with the Punjab Kings.
Bishnoi recently earned his maiden call up the Indian side for the ongoing limited-overs series against West Indies but did not feature in the playing XI. He might get a game in the T20Is and the experience in the Indian dugout will definitely get him a lot to learn. He has transformed into a great spinner being under the guidance of head coach Anil Kumble for PBKS last year.
He has so far picked up 24 wickets in 23 games in IPL with an economy rate of 6.96 and is definitely seen as a four-over bank for the franchise. He has a lot of variations under his sleeve and does not rely on turn which makes him a unique proposition to reckon with.
10. Mark Wood
Mark Wood had an excellent Ashes season despite England losing out 0-4 and his ability to bowl really good makes him a great buy in the mega auction. Wood attracted a lot of franchises with some serious bidding from Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians and finally landed in the Lucknow Supergiants for a whopping INR 7.5 Crores.
He can definitely hit the 150 Kmph mark consistently and his bouncers have been deadly as well. He has been picked up by Chennai Super Kings in the past but could not play many games to prove his potential. He is a completely different bowler now with a lot more maturity and will have a lot to offer.
Wood will have the luxury of bowling in the fast pitches in Mumbai that have been a paradise for the quick bowlers and he will certainly extract a little bit of bounce as well. The 32-year-old can be the X factor player for the franchise like Anrich Nortje for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020.
11. Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan turned out to be the most expensive uncapped player in the IPL 2022 mega auction as he was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping INR 10 crores, which is 50 times more than his base price of 20 lakh. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad all showed interest in the pacer.
Avesh finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021 with 24 wickets in 16 games and made use of the opportunities he had. The 25-year-old had an economy rate of under 7.50 despite bowling the tough overs last season and his impressive stint earned him a maiden call up into the Indian side.
However, he is yet to make his international debut and looks like the future of the Indian bowling setup with a lot to offer. He has got the pace and bounce to trouble the batters and has been nailing the yorkers at the death overs which makes him one of the potent pacers to work with.
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