The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were very busy at the IPL 2023 auction on Friday, December 23 in Kochi. They filled each of their remaining ten slots, bringing their roster for the upcoming season to 25 with a spending limit of 23.35 crore.
When Nicholas Pooran’s name was put up for auction, it was a surprise win. In order to obtain his services, the Super Giants went to great lengths and broke the bank. In addition, they completed their squad by making a number of cheap overseas and Indian acquisitions, and they emerged from the IPL 2023 Auction with one of the better-balanced teams.
In light of this, let’s rank their IPL 2023 acquisitions from best to worst on a scale of 1 to 10.
Prerak Mankad (8/10)
For Saurashtra, Prerak Mankad has been one of the best pace bowlers and all-rounders on the domestic circuit. After being released by the Punjab Kings, he was purchased by LSG at the IPL 2023 auction for his base price of 20 lakh.
In the Twenty20s, Mankad has an average of 30.24 and a strike rate of 142.60. He recently scored an unbeaten 25-ball 61 against Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinals. He is a solid option as a backup or in the playing XI and can also provide useful overs at a medium pace.
Yash Thakur (8/10)
At the IPL 2023 auction, LSG purchased Yash Thakur for 45 lakh rupees, putting an end to his long-awaited IPL contract. With Mohsin Khan recovering from an injury and Avesh Khan also having a tough year, Thakur’s signing provides solid cover for the Super Giants on that front given his ability to nail yorkers at will.
Nicholas Pooran (7.5/10)
“Justified for what we needed”
Shashwat Goenka, the Super Giants’ co-owner, reacted when they spent a staggering 16 crore rupees on the West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman. For Nicholas Pooran, who has a lot of talent but hasn’t really taken the world by storm in recent years, it was a huge investment.
There is unquestionably a lot of pressure on the man himself to deliver in the new season due to the price tag.
Romario Shepherd (7.5/10)
LSG hired fellow West Indian Romario Shepherd after letting go of Jason Holder ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. In his T20 career, the imposing all-rounder has a strike rate of 141 and the ability to bowl a heavy ball.
Yudhvir Charak (7.5/10)
Yudhvir Charak was once a member of the Mumbai Indians (MI) setup. The lanky pacer from Jammu and Kashmir. Charak will presently show up for LSG and was gotten at his base cost of ₹20 lakh at the IPL 2023 closeout.
He might not immediately make the starting XI. However, Lucknow has a strong backup option in the form of Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan, both of whom are tall bowlers who can hit the deck.
Amit Mishra (7/10)
The veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra returns to the Indian Premier League after a year out. He is another base price pick by the Super Giants, and he should play only if Ravi Bishnoi gets hurt or loses his form.
However, his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year, where he took 10 wickets at an economy rate of 5.89, demonstrates that he still has a lot to offer. Mishra has a plethora of tricks up his sleeve, making his experience a luxury LSG can use when necessary.
Naveen-ul-Haq (6.5/10)
Naveen-ul-Haq is an Afghanistan cricketer who has competed in T20 leagues all over the world. He has finally signed a deal with the Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, and he will play for them this season.
Given that he was purchased at the IPL 2023 auction for his base price, it was a smart move. Having said that, Naveen is better suited to surfaces with two paces because he has a variety of slower deliveries in addition to being a good yorker.
Naveen isn’t quite a like-for-like backup in that sense because English bolter Mark Wood is likely to play in the starting XI. However, his purchase is shrewd solely in terms of what he brings.
Jaydev Unadkat (6.5/10)
Similarly, as he was amidst his hotly anticipated Test rebound, Jaydev Unadkat was procured at his base cost of ₹50 lakh at the IPL 2023 closeout. With Mohsin likely to start in the XI, LSG added cover in the form of a left-arm seamer.
Unadkat will be a challenge for LSG if the Lucknow Ekana Cricket Stadium pitch exhibits two-paced play.
Daniel Sams (6/10)
Prior to being placed in the auction pool, MI gave Daniel Sams a wild IPL 2022 season. He brought a sole bid of ₹75 lakh from LSG and will add a utility choice to go to when required.
He is useful on two-paced decks because he can play big shots and bowl cutters. Nevertheless, despite Sams’s left-arm variety, there were potentially better options on the market, such as David Wiese. He will attempt to justify the trust placed in him at the IPL 2023 auction because consistency has not been his strong suit.
Swapnil Singh (6/10)
Swapnil Singh is back in the IPL after playing for the Kings XI Punjab (as they were known at the time). At the IPL 2023 auction, LSG made a single bid of 20 lakh and signed the Baroda all-rounder.
In the current Ranji Trophy season, Swapnil has been in great form, scoring half-centuries and picking up wickets for fun. However, with so many other options available to LSG, it’s hard to imagine him playing.