Before the start of the IPL 2023, Lucknow Super Giants looked like one of the front-runners. But the question mark against Lucknow was whether they would be able to take a couple more steps and hoist the trophy. Eventually, they had to again be satisfied with losing out in the Eliminator Round.
What we predicted?
Lucknow would qualify for the playoffs. They had enough power-hitters in the batting unit –Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya. They also had enough hit-the-deck pace bowlers – Mark Wood, Yudhvir Singh, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan. Mohsin also brought the left-arm angle and variations into play. Ravi Bishnoi was the mainstay of the spin attack. Overall, they looked like a strong side.
Where they finished
Lucknow suffered a crushing 81-run loss to Mumbai Indians in the playoffs and finished the tournament as the fourth-placed side. Lucknow ended up joint-second on the points table in the league phase, but were placed one spot behind Chennai Super Kings on the basis of their Net Run-Rate.
What went right?
Stoinis and Pooran played impactful knocks, and aggregated 408 and 358 runs. More importantly, Pooran and Stoinis scored their runs at strike-rates of 172.95 and 150. The way the pair powered Lucknow to a come-from-behind win against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium exemplified their ability to press the accelerator pedal as and when needed.
Even in the crucial games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai in the league phase, Stoinis and Pooran made vital contributions. Among the bowlers, Bishnoi led the charts for Lucknow with 16 wickets. Yash Thakur also had his share of moments, while Naveen-ul-Haq bagged a four-for in the Eliminator. The Lucknow camp would also be gladdened by the fact that Mohsin made a successful comeback from injury.
What went wrong?
KL Rahul scored 274 runs at the top of the order, but his strike-rate of just over 113 didn’t make for good reading. The Lucknow skipper also sustained a hip injury in the game versus RCB and was ruled out of the rest of IPL and the World Test Championship final. Krunal and Avesh also had below-par seasons.
Saving grace
Mayers, the left-hand opener from Barbados, accumulated 379 runs at a strike-rate of 144.11. Although he lost his way a bit at the fag end of the campaign, the Lucknow think-tank would be happy with Mayers’ fine show.
Flop Show
Definitely Deepak Hooda. Hooda, previous one of the middle-order stalwarts, had a disastrous run, finishing with a mere 84 runs at an average of 7.64 and strike-rate of 93.33. He was also involved in a slew of run-outs in the Eliminator against Mumbai. Hooda will need to somehow forget this nightmarish season, and return to some sort of form quickly.