Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Lucknow Super Giants is one of the two new teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They are owned by the Sanjeev Goenka group, who were the owners of Rising Pune Super Giants in the 2016 and 2017 editions. As per the rules, while the existing team got a chance to retain four players from their previous squads, the two new franchises were allowed three draft picks. Team Lucknow went on to pick KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi as their three draft picks. With 59 crores still left to spend, LSG's auctions strategy will be one to watch out for.
Retained/Picked Players
KL Rahul (17 Crore)
Marcus Stoinis (9.2 Crore)
Ravi Bishnoi (4 Crore)
Purse Amount deducted: 31 Crores
Purse Amount left: 59 Crores
Roles of Retained Players
KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper, Captain, Opener)
Marcus Stoinis (All-rounder, Powerful hitter)
Ravi Bishnoi (Right-arm leg-break bowler, Sharp googlies)
Number of Slots available: 22
Number of Overseas slots available: 7
What will LSG look for in the mega auctions?
The Lucknow-based franchise is making its debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) which means they need to build a complete team. They have started well with three good draft picks. KL Rahul has been chosen for the leadership role and the Karnataka cricketer is expected to do well. Marcus Stoinis has also been in a good form in past two seasons of the IPL. He possesses big-hitting skills and can work as a trump card in tough situations. Ravi Bishnoi has also shown promising signs and his leg-spin is one of the toughest to pick. So, LSG have built a core, they will now look to cautiously pick as many multi-dimensional players as possible.
Players who will be on LSG's Radar
Quinton de Kock (Base Price 2 Cr)
Someone who can play fearlessly in the first six overs allowing captain KL Rahul to set his eyes in and play deep, Quinton de Kock will definitely attract LSG team management's attention. de Kock has a reputation of going after bowlers inside the powerplay. He has done it for Mumbai Indians in the past few seasons. Having de Kock at the top with Rahul will also help the team start with the left-right combination which is of great help for any team. Apart from aggregating quick runs, de Kock is also electric behind the stumps.
Mohammed Shami (Base Price 2 Cr)
Shami has grown as a white-ball bowler in the past few years. He has played for India in 96 white-ball games and has claimed 166 wickets. In 17 T20Is, he has taken 18 wickets. Talking about his IPL exploits, Shami has 79 wickets from the same number of games. Till 2018, Shami did not have a really good IPL but ever since joining Punjab Kings in 2019, Shami has evolved. In the last three seasons, Shami has continuously struck for his team with 19, 20, and 19 wickets in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. Having played under KL Rahul, Shami will be on LSG's radar when they take part in the mega auction.
Harpreet Brar (Base Price 20 Lakh)
Harpreet Brar was also a part of the PBKS setup for three seasons since 2019. While the first two seasons did not go that well for Brar, the 14th edition saw him getting more matches. He featured for PBKS in 7 matches and ended up taking five wickets. His best performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) when he dismissed Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell on consecutive deliveries and then came back in to remove de Villiers. The lad from Punjab idolizes Yuvraj Singh. He may not have yet proved his worth but he has certainly shown his potential. He will be on LSG's radar for sure, considering his base price.