Why Will Lucknow SuperGiants Lose In IPL 2024?

LSG players in action [X.com]

The biggest T20 extravaganza is around the corner, as we are only five sleeps away from the seventeenth Indian Premier League season. The tournament, which gets underway with a mouth-watering clash between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, will see ten top-class teams battling for the coveted IPL title. 

Talking about Lucknow Super Giants, the KL Rahul-led outfit made significant amendments to their setup, replacing Andy Flower with Justin Langer as their head coach. They also acquired several match-winners in the IPL 2024 mini-auction, bolstering their squad further for the marquee event. 

However, there are still some factors that might prevent the Lucknow-based franchise from winning their first IPL title. What are they? Let's analyse and find out. 

Middle order conundrum

Lucknow Super Giants have a formidable top order comprising KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, and Devdutt Padikkal. 

While Rahul and De Kock provide them with a dependable and perfectly complementary opening pair, Padikkal, who joined the franchise via their pre-auction trade with Rajasthan Royals, further boosts the lineup with his ability and red-hot recent form. 

However, LSG's middle order could emerge as a massive concern for them, as it looks slightly vulnerable on paper. Despite having the swashbuckling Nicholas Pooran, LSG have repeatedly been marred by fragility, resulting from the inconsistency of the rest of their batting unit. 

The likes of Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda and Ayush Badoni can play some quick-fire cameos here and there, but can they sustain their purple patch for a long period? We doubt that. 

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Injury-prone pacers

Mohsin Khan is an injury-prone player [X.com]

Having plenty of bowling options in their starting XI is one of LSG's biggest strengths heading to the IPL 2024. 

However, looking closely at their seam bowling department, one can easily spot at least two injury-prone pacers- Shivam Mavi and Mohsin Khan- who are expected to feature in their playing XI. 

Despite being able to make the new ball talk, both Mohsin and Mavi have faced frequent injury setbacks in their brief career. 

Interestingly, LSG's hopes to succeed with the ball significantly rely on these two bowlers, as they can choose only one foreign pacer among Naveen-ul-Haq, David Willey and Shamar Joseph, having De Kock, Pooran and Stoinis as three certain starters in the playing XI. 

So, God forbid, if either of Mavi and Mohsin sustains a mid-season injury, the responsibility will lie on Yash Thakur, who could find it incredibly challenging to lead the attack in the highly competitive tournament. 

Ravi Bishnoi: A lone warrior in spin department?

If we talk about LSG's spin bowling department, it consists of Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya, who will play a majority of their games in the IPL 2024. While Bishnoi has always been their go-to man in the middle overs, Krunal Pandya's recent performances with the ball aren't encouraging at all. 

Statistically, the left-arm spinner could pick only nine wickets in 15 matches last season, at an ordinary average of 34.77 and a strike rate of 28. On the other hand, they have Amit Mishra in the reserves, who is 41 and can't play all the games due to fitness issues. 

So, considering all these factors, LSG's spin department looks a bit undercooked, with Bishnoi seeming their only ray of hope. 

Uninspiring leadership

Rahul hasn't been impressive as a captain [X.com]

Besides the squad's overall quality, strong leadership is always needed to win a tournament as competitive as the IPL. However, with KL Rahul at the helm, the Super Giants seemed to miss the energy and tactical nuances of the previous two editions. 

It's the job of a good leader to motivate his troops and bring the best out of them. However, unfortunately, Rahul hasn't been as effective as MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma in this regard during his captaincy stints with LSG and Punjab Kings. 

Although they have appointed Justin Langer as their head coach, LSG's on-field performance will be significantly determined by Rahul, the leader, who hasn't been remarkable with his decision-making thus far. 

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