Led by KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants finished third in 2022. Can they go one better this time?
STRENGTH: Excellent group of allrounders in the form of Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Romario Shepherd and Marcus Stoinis. In Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul, they have a reliable and explosive opening pair.
WEAKNESS: Spin-bowling stocks seem to lack strength. Besides Ravi Bishnoi, there is the ageing Amit Mishra in the team.
OPPORTUNITY: Power-packed batting lineup means they can chase a big score as well as set one.
THREAT: Seem to lack wicket-taking thrust in the middle-overs, which might be exposed by powerful batting lineups.
KEY PLAYERS
Quinton de Kock: The form man after a successful series against West Indies will be key in terms of quick starts, but will miss the opening game.
KL Rahul: The skipper, usually among the top run-scorers in the event, will again have a point to prove.
Mark Wood: Known to clock speeds in excess of 150kmph, his blistering pace is an asset.
NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Nicholas Pooran: The hard-hitting West Indies middle-order batsman played for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season and is known to be brutal against spinners.
Romario Shepherd: In the Andre Russell mould. Bowls at a decent clip and can be devastating with bat in hand.
Prerak Mankad: Pace-bowling allrounder from Saurashtra has a batting strike-rate of 142.60 and an assortment of slower deliveries.
INJURY WATCH
Mohsin Khan: The young left-arm fast bowler who impressed in the previous season is nursing a shoulder injury and will miss a majority of the season.
