As we have seen, the Super Giants from Lucknow (LSG) would be happy with how things went by in their debut season. They finished fourth in position, having lost the eliminator. But they were third in the points table in the Group Stage. But with a stable squad, Lucknow would want to take things a step ahead in LSG IPL 2023.
The Lucknow Super Giants are among the very few teams with a stable and almost similar playing 11 to that we had seen in 2022. They did a good job of retaining a strong first-choice playing 11 ahead of the IPL 2023 Auction, and their primary objective job in the Auction was to look out for Backups.
Strongest Playing 11 for Lucknow:
Apart from the Backups, Lucknow did add a few solid options to their squad. But how will that lead to a change in their strongest playing 11 for IPL 2023? Well, let us find out in this article as we look the strongest predicted playing 11 for Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2023. Before that, let us look at the official squad for Lucknow for LSG IPL 2023.
Openers: KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock
Lucknow Super Giants probably have the best opening pair for IPL 2023 in the form of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock. Undoubtedly, these two would continue to be their opening pair unless, of course, for injury. If one of KL Rahul or Quinton de Kock misses out, Manan Vohra or Kyle Mayers could get a go as an opener.
Middle-order: Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran & Ayush Badoni
The Middle-order is the primary area that could change their playing 11. Deepak Hooda should continue to play at the number 3 position. In contrast, Ayush Badoni should play at the number 5 position. But with the addition of a healthy option in the form of Nicholas Pooran, the middle order looks stronger this time. Hopefully, Pooran will be more consistent this time to let his worth finally meet the performance.
Lower-order: Marcus Stoinis & Krunal Pandya
Regarding the lower-order or finishers, LSG IPL 2023 have the same duo of Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya. It is a strong finisher set to have, and Lucknow would want to utilize that as much as possible. Apart from these two, Lucknow can also fall back on Romario Shephard and Krishnappa Gowtham for the finisher role.
Bowlers: Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood & Avesh Khan
The bowling area is like what we saw in 2022. While Bishnoi, Mohsin, and Avesh are constant in the bowling department, the addition of Mark Wood makes this bowling line-up a hot property. All three pacers breathe fire when it comes to pace. If Lucknow’s pitch assists pacers, this would be a great contest to look at.
Alternate Best Playing 11 Options for Lucknow Super Giants:
Krishnappa Gowtham for Ayush Badoni
In the strongest playing 11 that we saw for Lucknow, Ayush Badoni is the only name that seems less experienced and tentative to be replaced. Not that Badoni is a bad option. But if Lucknow thinks, they could opt for finisher all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham for Ayush Badoni to play the role at number 7. It will give Stoinis more game time.
Romario Shephard / Kyle Mayers for Marcus Stoinis
The chance of us seeing Marcus Stoinis getting dropped or replaced seems next to none in the Lucknow playing 11. But in case Stoinis gets injured, Romario Shephard and Kyle Mayers are the best possible options for Lucknow for IPL 2023. The team could also fall back on Daniel Sams to play the role of a finisher pacer.
Amit Mishra / Jaydev Unadkat as Backup options
While the strongest first-choice playing 11 for LSG IPL 2023 may remain unmoved, the backups for Lucknow make their case stronger. While we mentioned a couple of options above, Lucknow also has the likes of spinner Amit Mishra and pacer Jaydev Unadkat in their ranks in case they are needed in the playing 11.
Predicted Playing 11 for LSG IPL 2023:
KL Rahul [captain], Quinton de Kock [wicket keeper], Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood & Avesh Khan
Finishing lines:
So, that is about the strongest playing 11 for LSG IPL 2023. Overall, this is what the 11 for Lucknow should look like, irrespective of the conditions. However, we expect the team to perform well and succeed in the upcoming season of IPL 2023
