LSG trade in Padikkal, release Unadkat, Sams among others: Analysis
Lucknow Super Giants didn't tinker much with the lineup that has given them success in the last couple of Indian Premier League seasons. They have released eight players while trading away two more as they announced the list of players retained by the franchise on November 26. It will be interesting to see how they proceed in the upcoming auction on December 19.
A look at their released players
List of LSG's released players: Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Swapnil Singh, Daniel Sams, Karan Sharma, Arpit Guleria, Suryansh Shedge, and Karun Nair. Players traded in by LSG: Devdutt Padikkal from Rajasthan Royals. Players traded out by LSG: Avesh Khan to Royals and Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians. Avesh was sold to LSG in the 2022 auction for Rs. 10 crore.
Here are the players retained by LSG
Players retained by LSG: KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen Ul Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, and Mohsin Khan. For now, they have a salary cap of Rs. 13.15 crore, the lowest among the IPL teams heading into the 2024 auction.
Padikkal adds balance to LSG's middle order
Padikkal was sold to RR in the 2022 auction for Rs. 7.75 crore, and LSG have shelled out the same amount for the Karnataka-based batter. He is extremely versatile, primarily being an opener the youngster can also play in the middle order. Hence, he can be that anchor for LSG in the middle while the likes of Pooran, and Stoinis can bat around him.
LSG have a settled batting lineup
After qualifying for the playoffs twice in two seasons, LSG have shown trust in their players. The likes of Rahul, de Kock, and Mayers have done well up the order, with Pooran, Stoinis, Krunal, and Hooda forming the middle order. LSG have a very balanced batting line-up which was further strengthened with Padikkal's trade. They have genuine match-winners throughout the batting line-up.
A look at the highlights
LSG got rid of experienced pacers Unadkat and Avesh, who have also represented Team India. Meanwhile, the release of Nair, Vohra, and Swapnil among others was mostly on the expected lines. Sams, who was bought by LSG for Rs. 75 lakh, did not prove his mettle in IPL 2023. Shepherd could crack a single game last season.
What do LSG need?
With Bishnoi, Mishra, and Krunal leading the spin attack, they might need another Indian spinner who can fill in on Lucknow's sluggish wicket. Given their purse, they will look for economical buys and may aim for a fast-bowling all-rounder to fill in the void left by Shepherd and Sams. Someone like Pat Cummins can be ideal, but their budget will be a concern.
