Balanced LSG look to fill a few gaps

Having made the playoffs in their first two seasons, their fresh auction strategy is also likely to have the imprint of new coach Justin Langer

- Sandip Sikdar

In their two years of existence, Lucknow Super Giants have already made a mark in IPL. One of the two new outfits with Gujarat Titans, the KL Rahul-led side made the playoffs both seasons, showing far better consistency than teams that have planned and strategised for years and still not made it count.

Despite losing in the Eliminator the last two seasons, the LSG think thank believes that they cannot just reach the playoffs, but push further in the knockouts. The performances reflect in a settled squad as well with 19 players retained.

The Super Giants have a set-top order with Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers and Deepak Hooda. Explosive lefthanded bat Mayers was the team's second-highest run-getter in IPL 2023 with four half-centuries and a strike rate of over 144. West Indies batter Mayers made such an impact at the top that LSG decided to stick with him even when de Kock arrived after missing the initial games due to international duty.