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The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be keen to make a strong first impression in their debut IPL season. They named KL Rahul, whom they picked in the draft along with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, as captain.
Going into the IPL 2022 auction, LSG had to face stiff competition from a number of other franchises who were aiming to sign the big stars. However, the shrewd thinking of former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir helped the Super Giants make some smart signings and form a formidable team on paper.
While many IPL teams are looking strong after the auction, here are three reasons why LSG are one of the favorites to make it to the IPL 2022 playoffs in their first attempt:
#3 Formidable opening combination
It is important to make full use of the powerplay in T20 cricket. Naturally, the focus of all the teams was to form a strong opening combination.
However, LSG have put a strong case for themselves in having arguably the most dangerous opening partnership in the IPL 2022 season. Rahul was a prolific run-scorer for the Punjab Kings, scoring over 500 runs in each of his four seasons with them.
Rahul has also shown that captaincy gets the best out of him as a batter and will be keen to make an impact for his new franchise. There was a lot of talk about Rahul's strike rate and how he needs an opening partner who will take the game to the opposition.
This is where swashbuckling South African opener Quinton de Kock becomes the perfect fit for LSG. De Kock was one of the main reasons for the Mumbai Indians' title wins in 2020 and 2021 and has the ability to send shivers down the spines of opposition bowling line-ups.
De Kock has the potential to provide the ideal foil for Rahul to continue playing the anchor role. The duo has the ability to win games for the Super Giants on their own.
#2 Plethora of all-rounders
The Super Giants looked clear in their approach of going after all-rounders in the auction, given they are valuable to both facets of the game. After Stoinis became a part of the franchise, LSG also managed to rope in West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder.
Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda have been proven match-winners for their respective franchises over the years. They will form a fantastic combination alongside Stoinis and Holder. This depth in both the batting and bowling departments gives the Super Giants an edge over many teams.
Check out the IPL 2022 venue here.
#1 X-factors in the bowling department
Quite a few eyebrows were raised when LSG decided to pick Bishnoi. However, the decision now looks like a masterstroke as the youngster has shown his pedigree at the international level.
After having a successful 2020 U19 World Cup where he ended up as the leading wicket-taker, Bishnoi made his way into the senior Indian team. The leg-spinner was impressive in the T20 series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, and will be one of the lethal weapons for KL Rahul.
The Super Giants have also invested in pacers like Avesh Khan and Mark Wood. The latter is one of the fastest bowlers in the world at the moment and Avesh showed exactly what he is capable of in the last IPL season.
Overall, LSG look to have a champion squad at their disposal. If they are able to find momentum early in the tournament, they have the ability to just roll over the opposition.
