IPL 2023: 3 Players who can replace KL Rahul as opener in LSG squad

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is likely to be ruled out of IPL 2023 owing to an injury he suffered in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The cricketer is expected to travel to Mumbai for scans and his future in the World Test Championship finale is also under the scanner. However, what that means to LSG in the ongoing season? Will they go out of the box and sign a replacement? Unlikely so. 

Thus, the team management will have to unearth some talent and partner him with Kyle Mayers, who’s on song in the 16th edition of the cash-rich league. The West Indies international has scored 297 runs off nine matches and with that, he is eighth in the race to bag the IPL Orange Cap. So, who’s the ideal candidate from the LSG team to partner with Mayers at the top of the order?

Let's have a look at the potential partners for Mayers -

3. Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda has been very average in the ongoing IPL 2023. In nine matches so far, the all-rounder has managed to score only 53 runs at a strike rate of 89.83. Thus, it can be said with absolute clarity that the season hasn’t gone in favour of Hooda so far. Will a promotion at the top of the order bring the best out of him? Well, there’s definitely a possibility.

Hooda has prior experience in opening the batting for the national team. In the first T20I against Ireland in Dublin in 2022, the 28-year-old opened the innings along with Ishan Kishan and smashed 47 runs off just 27 deliveries. Now, even though Hooda didn’t get a lot of chances to try his skill but can definitely be one of the exciting options up front.

It will be good for LSG as well, since the team will not have to drop any of their four current foreign players - Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran and Navenn-ul-Haq. Thus, this is definitely an option the LSG management will keep in mind, despite Hooda not being in the form at the moment.