IPL 2025, LSG SWOT analysis: Can Lucknow Super Giants win maiden IPL title under Rishabh Pant's leadership?

IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) gear up for the upcoming season with a revamped squad led by Rishabh Pant, as they quest for maiden IPL title.

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Lucknow Super Giants will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Delhi Capitals at the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Monday, March 23. 

In the IPL 2024, LSG failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since their debut season in 2022, finishing seventh in the league stage with 14 points. Ahead of the IPL 2025, Lucknow-based IPL franchise retained their core players from the previous season, while adding more players to the squad at the auction in November last year. Their biggest addition to the squad is Rishabh Pant, who will be leading Lucknow Super Giants after he was bought for INR 27 crore. 

With core players and fresh squad for the IPL 2025, can Lucknow Super Giants sprung a surprise by winning the maiden IPL title under Rishabh Pant’s captaincy? Let’s take a look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats lie ahead in their quest to win the first title.

SWOT Analysis of Lucknow Super Giants:

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Strengths 

Lucknow Super Giants’ batting line-up looks very strong. They have the best T20 players, including the likes of David Miller, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Mitchell Marsh. LSG also have talented Indian batters including the likes of skipper Rishabh Pant, Arshin Kulkarni, and Ayush Badoni. Miller, Markram, Marsh, and Pooran are hard-hitters, who can accelerate the innings and scoring rate effectively in the middle-order, while Pant is likely to provide stability at the top if he opens the innings for LSG in the IPL 2025. LSG’s strong batting line-up gives them the ability to post formidable totals or chase down hefty targets. 

Another strength of LSG is their pace bowling attack, which includes Avesh Khan, Shamar Joseph, and Mohsin Khan. Mayank Yadav will remain unavailable for the first half of the season, Shardul Thakur is likely to come in as his replacement. Mohsin has the ability to swing the ball in both ways, which might trouble the batters. Shamar is expected to firepower in the attack with his ability to generate extra bounce, while Avesh provides consistency with different variations in death overs.

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Weaknesses 

One of the weaknesses of Lucknow Super Giants is that they lack quality specialist spinners. Ravi Bishnoi is only a reliable spin bowler in the squad, having the experience of playing in IPL and for Team India. This could be a serious concern, especially on the spin-friendly tracks, where spinners play a pivotal role in controlling the game. The all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed had a great season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year with the bat, but his bowling was not impressive as he picked only seven wickets. 

Another weakness of LSG is their over-reliance on overseas power-hitters in the middle-order. Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, and David Miller bring immense firepower, but the failure to deliver might leave the team in a vulnerable position during crucial junctures. Additionally, LSG lack all-rounder options, given that Mitchell Marsh will only bowl in  the upcoming season of the IPL. Only Shahbaz Ahmed who is a reliable all-rounder can contribute with the bat and ball.

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Opportunities

The upcoming IPL season is the big opportunity for Rishabh Pant to win his maiden IPL title with Lucknow Super Giants. Pant did not lead Delhi Capitals to the final during his 3-year captaincy stint before he was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025. Leading Lucknow Super Giants gives him a new chance to prove his captaincy credentials and lead them to their maiden IPL title. He can also make a strong case as the future captain of the Indian T20I team by showcasing his leadership skills in IPL 2025. A successful season with LSG could put him in contention for a larger leadership role ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. 

Another opportunity for LSG is to identify talented players and groom them early on in the season to build a strong core for the future. Pant and Ravi Bishnoi are young and experienced players now, while Matthew Bretzke, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Kulkarni, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, and Abdul Samad have the potential to become match-winners and contribute to the success of LSG if given the right opportunity and exposure. With lack of spin options, Ravi Bishnoi will have a big role to play and earn a recall to the Indian T20I team.

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Threats 

The biggest threat for Lucknow Super Giants is injury concerns. Mitchell Marsh has already ruled himself out as an all-rounder due to a lingering back issue, while Mayank Yadav will be unavailable for the first few matches of the tournament. Avesh Khan is racing against time to be fit for the IPL 2025. This might prompt LSG management to rethink their bowling combinations and rely more on backups like Shardul Thakur and Rajvardhan Hangargekar.

Another big threat is that they lack someone who could anchor the innings in the middle-order on slow pitches. Nicholas Pooran and David Miller are reliable middle-order options who play well against spin on slow tracks, but if they fail to adapt or get out early, LSG might struggle to rebuild their innings in pressure situations. Additionally, if the oppositions exploit LSG’s spin bowling weaknesses, having only one reliable spinner, they could find it challenging to control the games in the middle overs.