IPL Auction Review: Lucknow Super Giants

Gujarat Titans completed a fairytale first season in IPL 2022 after lifting their maiden IPL title. Meanwhile, the other debutants Lucknow Super Giants also enjoyed a decent campaign after making the playoffs in their inaugural appearance in the competition.

KL Rahul’s LSG fared well in the recently concluded IPL 2023 auction, signing ten of the 14 players they bid for the event in Kochi. They were engaged in an intense bidding war for Sam Curran, who eventually joined Punjab Kings for a record-breaking sum of INR 18.50 crore.

However, the Lucknow-based franchise shocked a fair few after dishing out a whopping INR 16 crore for Nicholas Pooran. The decision was surprising not because the southpaw was not worth the value, but because he had failed to live up to the expectations for the Sunrisers Hyderabad following a big money move.

LSG, then made a bemusing decision, moving in for the oldest player in the auction, Amit Mishra. While the veteran leggie is still no match in the domestic circuit, his signing raised a few question marks on LSG’s strategy for IPL 2023. However, with the introduction of the ‘impact player’ provision from next year, the wily campaigner can prove to be a trump card for Rahul’s side.

Jaydev Unadakat also found a new home in the form of LSG after the left-arm pacer was snapped up for his base price. He has had a phenomenal couple of years on the domestic front and also impressed on his return to the Indian team in the recently concluded second Test against Bangladesh.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad for IPL 2023: