IPL 2023: Match 3, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Predicted Playing XI vs Delhi Capitals

After a decent start to their campaign in the debut season, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to play the IPL 2023 for the second time in the 16^th edition. The side will square off against a new-look Delhi Capitals (DC), led by flamboyant Aussie batter David Warner at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, April 1.

Check here 👉 Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Match 3 - Live Cricket Score

Two formidable sides on paper and decent additions at the mini-auction was what Delhi and Lucknow’s lead-up to the ongoing season had been like. However, the onus is on the management and players to get a core team swiftly to compete for the play-offs spot and eventually for the glorious title. 

KL Rahul’s Super Giants will be raring for an improved season and go all the way to the finals, unlike the last time when they crashed out in the Eliminator against Royal Challengers Bangalore. All eyes will be on the second double-header on Saturday as Lucknow will look to begin the season on a high note. 

Here's Lucknow Super Giants’ predicted XI against Delhi Capitals

Openers: KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers

Without regular partner Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul will have a new opener for the first match. It is due to the fact that de Kock is currently on national duty for South Africa, as they play a crucial tie against Netherlands. Last season, KL Rahul managed to do the bulk of the scoring for the franchise in the top order and raised vital partnerships. In this season too, he will aim to play a similar role going forward for Lucknow.

On the other hand, Kyle Mayers could likely be given the nod to open the innings alongside the skipper. In his most recent T20I outings against the Proteas, the 30-year-old notched up one half-century (51 runs) and two underwhelming stints where he returned scores of six and 17 runs, respectively in the first and the third T20I. However, he will look to swiftly get into the groove and score runs in the top order.

Middle Order: Nicholas Pooran (wk), Manan Vohra

Keeper-batter Nicholas Pooran was in scintillating form in the ILT20 wherein he hammered 355 runs in 10 matches and was among the leading run-getters. He notched up 41 runs in his last outing against South Africa in the final T20I match. While LSG have been wanting to fix their middle-order issue, reinforcing the squad with Pooran appears to be a good call. However, the IPL is a different ball game altogether and it remains to be seen if he can score big in the middle order. 

Manan Vohra has been playing in the IPL for quite some time now and understands the dynamics and requirements of the game. However, unable to get games regularly, he will look to ply his trade for Lucknow and create a long-lasting impression for the side. 

All-rounders: Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis

Krunal Pandya made his last appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Baroda in November and since then, has not played in any domestic or international competitive tournament. Although he has been sweating it out in the net sessions ahead of their campaign opener, he will need to keep up with the game and adapt swiftly. 

Considering his lofty standards, Marcus Stoinis had a pretty underwhelming run in LSG’s debut campaign last season. In 10 innings, he could only manage to add 156 runs to his name and failed to get any big scores down the order in the crunch moments.

On the other hand, Deepak Hooda was quite solid with the bat as he was the third-highest run-getter for the side with 451 runs in 15 matches. Establishing himself as a competent hitter in the lower middle order, Hooda has the potential to help his team recover in case of early fall of wickets.

Stoinis and Hooda have a big season to look forward to, both with the bat and ball. Furthermore, both are vital cogs in the middle order and can play game-changing innings at any given point. Adding to this, the two can add a few wickets between them and get crucial breakthroughs for their team.

Bowlers: Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi, Jaydev Unadkat

One of the best picks for LSG at the mini-auction was getting Jaydev Unadkat to bolster the pace-bowling attack. The plethora of experience he carries will undoubtedly help the franchise this season. Furthermore, Unadkat’s impressive bowling performances in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy helped Saurashtra clinch the title. 

Avesh Khan and Mark Wood have the potential to deck the rival batting line-up with their sharp line and lengths. Furthermore, the duo will also look to restrict the opposition teams from going overboard and getting massive runs.

22-year-old leggie- Ravi Bishnoi will aim to have an improved season in the 16^th edition. In 2022, he could only get 13 wickets under his belt in 14 matches and proved to be quite expensive in most games as he concluded the season with an economy of 8.44.

Impact player scenarios:

If Lucknow Super Giants bat first (Captain chooses the XI with an extra batter at toss):

Probable Impact Player: Ayush Badoni

Badoni joined LSG in 2022 and got 13 matches in his debut season. While he could get 161 runs with a season-best score of 54, there is a lot for the batter to look forward to in the forthcoming edition. Despite being thin on experience, he would be raring to get better with the bat this season for Lucknow. 

If Lucknow Super Giants bowl first (Captain chooses the XI with an extra bowler at toss):

Probable Impact Player: Amit Mishra

Relying mostly on his flight and sharp turns, veteran leggie Amit Mishra can help dent the rival batting line-up if he is used as the impact specialist bowler. Assuming the pitch conditions are well-suited for the spinner to come in place, the think tank would certainly go for the 40-year-old leggie to create the required impact.