After being shown the exit door last season by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator, Lucknow Super Giants managed to make it into the IPL 2023 playoffs for a second year running, although they were ousted by Mumbai Indians this time around, as Krunal Pandya’s side suffered a total collapse in their 81-run defeat. LSG were outplayed in all three departments, however, before the Eliminator they showed plenty of promise.
Naveen-ul-Haq and Gautam Gambhir’s skirmish with Virat Kohli saw both of them, particularly the Afghanistan pacer attract unnecessary heat, not that his performances were affected, in fact in his own words, Naveen ‘enjoyed’ the scrutiny of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants.
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And then there was also the injury to KL Rahul, he managed to score just 274 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 113.22 which highlighted some issues but in his absence through injury, LSG stand-in captain Krunal appeared to be out of depth.
IPL 2023 Record
Played: 15; Won: 8; Lost: 6; Standing: 3rd
High Point of the Season
LSG were one of the only sides this season who were able to win three games in a row, it might not sound like much but in a league where every team is able to beat any other side on any given day, Lucknow were able to finish their season strongly. The three-game winning streak before the Eliminator helped them finish in third place. LSG defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets, then they overcame Mumbai Indians by 5 runs and a narrow 1-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders sealed their place in the playoffs.
Low Point of the Season
No brownie points for guessing that the infamous spat between Kohli and Naveen, and then Kohli squaring off against Gambhir will go down as one of the low points of the season for Lucknow. On-field spats between them are quite common, they date back to 2013 when Kohli and Gambhir locked exchanged words for the first time, as players.
Captaincy verdict
It was a mixed bag for Rahul in IPL 2023, while his individual performances were nowhere near his best, Lucknow certainly did miss Rahul the captain once he got injured. Having scored more than 600 runs each season since 2018 (except 2019 when he got 593), a tally of 274 runs with a strike rate of 113.22 this year from the opener put the middle order under pressure. Once Quinton de Kock was able to open alongside Kyle Mayers, LSG’s top order began to fire on all cylinders.
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That being said, the 31-year-old was certainly a better captain than Krunal. In some moments, it appeared as if Gambhir himself, and not Krunal was calling the shots. The allrounder did ever so well to take his side to the playoffs but some of his decisions like giving the ball to Mayers in the powerplay were inexplicable.
Most valuable player
Marcus Stoinis rose to the occasion for his side. Nicholas Pooran also deserves a huge shoutout for smashing 358 runs that too at a blistering strike rate of 172.95 justifying his massive Rs 16 crore price tag but Stoinis finished the season as the leading run-scorer, and the only player from his side to cross the 400-run mark. The Australian allrounder scored 408 runs in 15 games, at an impressive scoring rate of 150 and also chipped in with 5 wickets.
Major disappointment
Deepak Hooda’s form was the biggest downside for LSG. From scoring 451 runs last year he managed just 84 runs in 12 games. It was a season to forget for the Indian allrounder who was benched following his dismal run with the bat. Despite being backed, he couldn’t rediscover his form.
Season verdict
Two seasons, two playoffs – it does make for a good reading for LSG but they will be gunning to go past the Eliminator next season. Mayers and De Kock combination worked well, Stoinis and Pooran were also impressive. Mark Wood began the season promisingly before leaving to be with his partner for the birth of his second child, while Naveen-ul-Haq’s performances were also eye-catching. Lots to build upon for Andy Flower and Gambhir.
Statistics
Most Runs: Marcus Stoinis (408 runs)
Most Wickets: Ravi Bishnoi (16 wickets)
Highest Individual Score: Marcus Stoinis (89* vs Mumbai Indians)
Best Bowling Figures: Mark Wood (5/14 vs Delhi Capitals)
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