IPL 2022: 3 Players LSG are likely to release ahead of next season

Another season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) reached its conclusion on May 29 (Sunday). Both the new franchises LSG and GT exceeded expectations by qualifying for the playoffs, with the Hardik Pandya-led side winning the tournament in its maiden season. All teams went into the mega auction in 2022 with a clear strategy to build a team that will take them forward in the next decade. While some franchises succeeded in doing so, historically successful teams like CSK and MI found it tough.

Many players lived up to the hype, while a few others emerged as exciting prospects. Lucknow was one such franchise that was built superbly by Gautam Gambhir and Andy Flower. Few fresh talents were also unearthed like Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. However, some didn’t live up to the expectations or couldn’t get a game this IPL.

Here is a list of 3 such players that LSG might release going into the next IPL:

1. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey was bought by LSG for INR 4.6 crore after being released by Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was evident that he got the trust of Gautam Gambhir based on his successful stint with KKR when he was the captain. A middle-order batter who has delivered big in the past, including a match-winning knock in an IPL final, was a shadow of himself in this IPL.

It has been a turbulent year for Manish as he has now lost his place in the Indian team as well. LSG initially chose the right-hander to bat at three for the franchise, but a string of failures meant that he had to make way for other players. In all, Manish Pandey only managed 88 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 110 without any half-century.

The fact to note is that LSG didn’t suffer much despite his failures. Deepak Hooda stepped up in a big way scoring over 451 runs and delivering consistently. The emergence of Ayush Badoni is also a positive for the franchise. Considering the price tag of Manish Pandey, it looks likely that LSG will release him for another solid middle-order batter who can bridge the gap between KL Rahul at the top and Hooda and Stoinis in the middle to take the franchise forward.