All you need to know about Lucknow Super Giants: Team strengths, KL Rahul's batting position

Sanju Samson and KL Rahul. Rahul's Lucknow Super Giants will look to open their IPL 2024 Points tally from their first match of the season, against Rajasthan Royals on March 24. (Image via X @LucknowIPL)

Lucknow Super Giants played the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time in 2022. In that season as well as the next, they finished third in the league, qualified for the playoffs, and lost the Eliminator to finish fourth –to Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru) in 2022, to Mumbai Indians in 2023.

Lucknow Super Giants: Strengths

Lucknow’s strength lies in their long list of all-rounders. If one takes a bit of liberty, at least eight members of their squad can be classified in that category, even after David Willey has been ruled out of the early part of the season. Not every member of the side may bat or bowl every time they take field, but such all-round depth, coupled with the Impact Player, enables Lucknow to take risks.

Combine that with the exciting Indian talent – left-arm seamer Mohsin Khan or the right-arm fast bowler Mayank Yadav – and Lucknow come across as a very strong side, at least on paper.

Lucknow Super Giants: What position will KL Rahul bat at in LSG?

A much-followed aspect of Lucknow’s season will be the batting position of K.L. Rahul. He will want to find his place back in the Indian side for the T20 World Cup. A fantastic IPL may get him there, but there is no room at the top in the international side.

Rahul will thus be forced to find a place in the middle order – something he has done successfully in ODIs and now Test cricket. He may bat at four or even five, and for that, he may want to drop down the line while batting for Lucknow. Perhaps that was why they acquired Devdutt Padikkal at the auction.

Lucknow Super Giants: Players to watch

Of the many all-rounders, Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis are likely to start, along with Quinton de Kock at the top and one of Naveen-ul-Haq and Shamar Joseph. Kyle Mayers may have to wait for his moment.

Lucknow Super Giants: History in the IPL tournament

Team debut: 2022

Lucknow Super Giants qualified for the play-offs - placing third on the points table on their IPL debut - with 9 wins and 5 losses at the league stage.

LSG lost the Eliminator to Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru), to finish fourth.

In 2023

LSG qualified for the playoffs, but lost the Eliminator to the Mumbai Indians to finish fourth.

At the league stage, LSG were again third in the IPL Points Table with 8 match in the win column, 5 losses and 1 match drawn.

LSG info & IPL fixtures, tickets

Owned by the RPSG Group, Lucknow Super Giants have Justin Langer as the team coach and KL Rahul as captain. Their home ground: BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium.

Lucknow Super Giants 2024 IPL fixtures:

vs Rajasthan Royals: March 24, 3.30 pm, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

vs Punjab Kings: March 30, 7.30 pm, at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru: April 2, 7.30 pm, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

vs Gujarat Giants: April 7, 7.30 pm, at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

Tickets for the March 24 fixture available on Bookmyshow for Rs1,200 onwards: https://in.bookmyshow.com/sports/rajasthan-royals-vs-lucknow-super-giants/ET00391081