The excitement around Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is quite high because it’s going to be a 10-team affair this time. One of the newly-added sides in Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) which will be led by KL Rahul. Former India opener and KKR captain Gautam Gambhir is the team mentor while former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower will be the head coach.
After roping in the likes of Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi, the franchise made some interesting buys at the mega auctions last month. They got young pacer Avesh Khan for Rs 10 crore, making him the most expensive uncapped player of that time. South African batsman Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey and Windies batter Evin Lewis and all-rounder Jason Holder were among the top buys.
Before LSG begin their campaign against fellow new-entrant Gujarat Titans on March 28, let’s have a look at the players to watch out for.
KL Rahul, the captain: Rahul is one of the players who has been performing consistently over the years. He might have had dissatisfactory results leading the Punjab franchise in the past couple of seasons but runs never stopped flowing from his willow. He has been among the top scorers for quite a long time now and with a new season ahead, the Karnataka batter will look to start a new chapter. He returning after an injury and would look forward to leading the team by example.
Ravi Bishnoi: The pocket-sized dynamo has been a delivering outstanding results ever since he made his IPL debut. That was probably the reason why the team owners approached him even before entering the auctions. Unlike the past editions, Bishnoi is now a capped player who will play a vital role in LSG’s spin-bowling department.
Jason Holder: If a team requires an experienced all-rounder, then Holder is a perfect match. Bought for a whopping sum of INR 8.75 crore, the former Windies skipper is one of the best T20 players in the world. He had produced several match-winning performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season but his contributions hardly made any difference for the side as he made a late entry to the tournament. For LSG, he can do wonders with the ball in death overs and could play the finisher’s role whenever required.
Quinton de Kock: After playing a pivotal role for Mumbai Indians till last year, the ace South African wicketkeeper-batter is ready to give solid starts to LSG. De Kock is a dynamic opening batter who needs no specific introduction. In 77 IPL matches, he has more than 2200 runs to his credit. He has scored a hundred as well along with 16 half-centuries. He is the front-runner for a spot of Rahul’s partner in the top of the order.
Avesh Khan: The right-arm quick was uncapped at the time of auction and hence, he became the most expensive bowler in that category. Akin to Bishnoi, Avesh has also played for his country but his past performances in the IPL remain the highlights of his career as of now. Last season, he ended second on the list of top wicket-takers with 24 scalps. So far, he has played 25 games in the tournament and has picked up 29 wickets. He will definitely lead the LSG pace attack, just like he did for DC in the past couple of seasons.
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