Lucknow’s race to the title ended with a loss to Bangalore in the Eliminator on May 25. The team had finished third in the league phase after winning nine out of 14 games. In the knockout game, their bowlers proved costly and the batting lacked the required intent. Thus, their dream of winning the trophy in the first season has drifted away from them. The team lacked in a few areas.
Their batting was largely dependent on the top three, while their bowling was their strongest suit. The team has been let down by some of their players who didn’t perform to their potential. Today, we will discuss three players who might be released by the franchise ahead of the player auction next year.
Players who might be released next year
- Manish Pandey
The right-hander has played six matches this year and could only muster 88 runs at an average of 14.67, and had a strike rate of 110. He was in and out of the team this season. He looked out of sorts in the games he played. It looks like the Karnataka player might have played his last season for the KL Rahul-led side as he might be released next year.
2. Manan Vohra
The uncapped player only played two games this year. In his first game, he couldn’t bat as the openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock batted throughout the innings. In his second game, he looked good but his innings was cut short abruptly. On the other hand, given his record in the previous seasons, his low averages make it surprising that the franchise bought him in the auction. However, as Lucknow already have the likes of Rahul, de Kock, and Evin Lewis, Vohra looks certain to be released.
3. Krishnappa GowthamÂ
The all-rounder picked five wickets in four games, but couldn’t score a run in the season. In fact, he played only one ball in these games. The only ball he faced was off Trent Boult of Rajasthan who trapped the former for lbw. He is a batter who can bat down the order but is not suited for the middle order positions. The team already have abundant options such as Ayush Badoni, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya etc, for that position. The Lucknow-based franchise would be looking to go for a solid middle-order batter. Thus, this means that Gowtham’s stint with the franchise might end next year.
