Lucknow made its debut in the Indian Playerzpot League last year and qualified for the playoffs after finishing fourth in the league stage. The team was led by KL Rahul, who parted ways with the Punjab team after Indian Playerzpot League 2021. Lucknow has left no stone unturned to go for glory in the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League as they made changes to the squad by retaining, releasing and signing up the players. N. Pooran was the costliest buy for the Lucknow-based franchise as they acquired his services for a whopping INR 16 crore. Moreover, M. Wood’s availability for the upcoming season is a big positive for Lucknow’s bowling attack.
Lucknow is likely to miss the services of M. Khan as he suffered an injury ahead of the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. However, the team looks balanced with a mixture of young and experienced players. There are certain players in the Lucknow team who will have a crucial role to play in the team’s campaign in the upcoming season of the Indian Playerzpot League.
Here are five players to watch out from Lucknow Team
KL Rahul
KL Rahul was retained by the Lucknow team as their captain for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. Under the leadership of Rahul, Lucknow reached the playoffs in their debut season last year. The 30-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers with the bat over the past five seasons (2018 to 2022), aggregating 500+ runs in each season. KL Rahul is an excellent opening batter and reliable wicketkeeper, which adds depth to the Lucknow team’s batting and fielding. As a captain, Rahul will have a huge role to play in helping the team clinch the maiden Indian Playerzpot League title in the upcoming season of the tournament.
Q de Kock
The Lucknow team acquired the services of Q de Kock last year and retained him for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. de Kock is an attacking batter and is known for his aggressive style of play. Q de Kock, alongside KL Rahul, are reliable opening batsmen and can form a good partnership at the top order for the Lucknow team. In the previous editions, de Kock has shown his class as a consistent performer with the bat and behind the stumps. His performance with the bat has been impressive in the previous seasons of the Indian Playerzpot League. Q de Kock will be one of the crucial players in the Lucknow campaign in the Indian Playerzpot League 2023.
M. Wood
M. Wood was bought by the Lucknow team last year and retained him for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. Wood was forced to withdraw from the last season of the Indian Playerzpot League as he underwent knee surgery. Wood is an excellent addition to the Lucknow team as it strengthens the pace bowling attack. M. Wood is known for his pace and ability to swing the ball. His pace bowling can pose a threat to the batting order of the opposition teams. He can be a dependable bowler for Lucknow in the powerplay as well as death overs. Wood is definitely one of the key bowlers to watch out for from Lucknow
N. Pooran
N. Pooran was Lucknow’s costliest buy at the auction, acquiring his services for a whopping 16 crore. N. Pooran had a moderate outing with the Hyderabad team in the last season of the Indian Playerzpot League. However, one cannot deny the fact that Pooran is a talented batter and is known for his power-hitting ability in the middle-order of the batting line-up. His ability to score quick runs in the middle overs can make him a valuable asset for the Lucknow Team. Additionally, N. Pooran’s wicketkeeping skills can also add value to the team’s performance. Pooran can be one of the instrumental players in Lucknow’s success in the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League.
D. Hooda
D. Hooda was retained by Lucknow for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. Hooda played a crucial role in helping the team to reach the playoffs in the debut season of the Indian Playerzpot League last year. The 27-year-old was the among leading run-getters in the Indian PlayerzPot League 2021. D. Hooda is an excellent all-rounder, who is known for his hard-hitting ability in the middle-order of the batting line-up. He is known for scoring quick runs and taking crucial wickets. D. Hooda is definitely one of the players to watch out for from Lucknow and can play a crucial role in the team’s success in the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League.
Lucknow Squad
KL Rahul (c), Q de Kock, M. Vohra, N. Pooran, A. Badoni, K. Gowtham, D. Hooda, K. Mayers, K. Pandya, K. Sharma, M. Stoinis, R. Shepherd, D. Sams, P. Mankad, S. Singh, Y. Charak, A. Khan, M. Khan, R. Bishnoi, M. Wood, M. Yadav, J. Unadkat, Y. Thakur, A. Mishra, N-ul-Haq.
Predicted Playing XI
KL Rahul (C), Q de Kock (WK), D. Hooda, N. Pooran, A. Badoni, K. Pandya, M. Stoinis, M. Wood, J. Unadkat, A. Khan, R. Bishnoi
