Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are still in contention for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs, but their chances of qualifying are logically impossible. A 19-run loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) in the last match left them in dire straits. With one more game to go in the group stage, LSG can reach the minimum cut-off point of 14, but their abysmal net run rate of -0.787 won’t make it easy for them.
Only two playoff spots left to fill and LSG have the worst odds among the five teams vying for them. Their upcoming match is against Mumbai Indians (MI), the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. Perhaps, this will be the last match for both teams this season. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, May 17.
Here is Lucknow Super Giants’ predicted playing XI against MI in IPL 2024, Match 67:
Openers: KL Rahul (c & wk), Quinton de Kock
LSG have one of the worst opening pairs in IPL 2024. Both were expected to deliver a strong powerplay but the fact is that their partnership did not last till the first six overs on most occasions. Barring a couple of half-centuries, Quinton de Kock was nowhere near his shadows in previous seasons.
Despite de Kock’s poor form, LSG did not bother to test Windies’ big-hitter Kyle Mayers at the top. Kl Rahul, on the other hand, has accumulated 465 runs but those numbers came at a concerning strike rate of 136.36. The LSG captain has always been criticised for his slow knocks and he has not been able to erase them this season either.
Middle-order: Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni
Deepak Hooda replaced a struggling Devdutt Padikkal in the middle-order but the outcome was the same for LSG. The right-handed batter has never been able to make an impact with the bat and has often been a free wicket for the opposition. LSG haven’t used him much in the bowling department either.
Nicholas Pooran has been LSG’s most reliable and consistent batter so far. Batting mostly at No. 5, the Caribbean big-hitter has scored 424 runs at an average of 60.57 and an impressive strike rate of 168.92. In the last two matches, he scored 48* off 26 balls and 61 off 27 balls respectively. Ayush Badoni has not lived up to expectations, but he has been involved in a couple of rescue missions when LSG’s top order collapsed.
All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya
Marcus Stoinis has had an inconsistent campaign so far. The Aussie all-rounder has scored 360 runs in 13 matches, including a match-winning hundred against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Barring a couple of big knocks, the right-hander failed to find runs consistently. His bowling skills also did not help the team much.
Krunal Pandya is considered one of the most important players in the LSG unit. But it is safe to say that the spin all-rounder could not shine as expected this time around. He has bowled at a good economy rate of 7.79 but has managed to take only five wickets so far. Krunal could not make an impact in the batting department as well.
Bowlers: Arshad Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur
Arshad Khan? Is he an all-rounder or a bowler? A similar question might have arisen in the minds of many cricket fans after watching the half-century knock in the last match against DC. The left-arm pacer also gave a massive breakthrough by dismissing the dangerous Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck in the very first over.
Naveen-ul-Haq and Yash Thakur are LSG’s other two pace bowling options. Although they have done their job decently, the void left by the injured Mayank Yadav is yet to be filled. Ravi Bishnoi’s poor form is one of the reasons behind LSG’s underwhelming campaign. However, he was impressive in the last match, picking up a wicket at an economy of just 6.50 when the opposition scored 208 runs.
LSG XI: KL Rahul (c & wk), Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Arshad Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur
Impact Substitute: Yudhvir Singh Charak
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