With only a few days left until the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League, people are getting more and more excited about the money-making tournament. As the teams set up their pre-tournament meetings and make plans for when the tournament starts, experts and fans can be seen giving their opinions on the tournament and coming up with strategies for their favorite teams. Aaron Finch, the former captain of Australia and a well-known IPL veteran, recently joined the group. He was seen on a pre-tournament show with official TV broadcasters Star Sports analyzing the Lucknow Super Giants team.
Finch said that Lucknow’s opening pair of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock were very strong, and he said that their performance going forward would be very important for the franchise. He went on to say that Rahul and de Kock’s different ways of playing are a perfect match for each other. So, he thinks that both players have their own strengths and weaknesses, which, when they play together, cancel each other out.
He also said that the team has a good overall structure, with players like Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis in the middle order and Krunal Pandya, who can do a lot of things well, at the end.
“KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, who open the game for the Lucknow Super Giants, are their biggest strength. They go so well with each other. Both players are very different, and their strengths and weaknesses balance each other out. So, I think they will have a good season. I think the Lucknow Super Giants have a home ground advantage this year, even though their wicket has been a little shaky at times. They have a great opening pair in KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, a strong middle order in Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, and a lot of bowling options, including Krunal Pandya, who can also bat. So, I think they have a lot of ways to take advantage of what the wicket gives them “Finch was said to have said.
Not only that, but Finch also guessed who could be the “X-factor” for LSG. He said that Nicholas Pooran will be an important player to watch, but Deepak Hooda could be the team’s “X-factor.” He talked about Hooda’s aggressive way of playing cricket and said that the all-rounder has made a mark so far with his fiery batting style and has done a good job with his responsibilities at no. 3.
“Nicholas Pooran is a player for Lucknow to watch out for. They spent a lot of money to get him into the auction. Last season, he wasn’t at his best, but we know how dangerous he can be. He is someone who hits the ball so often, especially early in his innings. So, he is the player I think you should watch out for. I think Deepak Hooda will be Lucknow’s “X-factor” this season. He is the person who is responsible for batting at number 3. He has a good strike rate, especially in the first 10 balls. He is still acting aggressively. If he can bat for longer and be more aggressive, the middle and lower order will be able to do what they do best, which is damage “Finch said.
Finch pointed out where LSG was weak and said where he thought they would be on the points table.
Aaron Finch also talked about the bad things about LSG and where they might be weak. He said that Lucknow’s “death bowling” could be a problem for them because it’s hard to put together a good team for the last four overs of a game.
“Their death bowling is something I think could be a weakness for the Lucknow Super Giants. I think they have a lot of options in the middle, and they have some good players who can do a lot of things. But I think, when you look at the combinations, finding good quality four overs of death bowling will be a real challenge for them,” opined Finch.
He finally said where he thought the team might finish out of the 10 teams in the tournament. After doing a full SWOT analysis of the KL-Rahul-led team, Finch came to the conclusion that the team could make it to the next round if they fixed their problems with death bowling. Aside from that, he said that Super Giants would finish in fifth place.
“I think the Lucknow Super Giants will finish around fifth in the league this season. Could get into the finals, but I’m a little worried about how they’ll play death bowling when they’re under pressure. But overall, they are a very dangerous team with a lot of game-winning players,” Finch said.
