Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have made a dramatic comeback in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) and sealed their playoffs spot following a nervy one-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday, May 21.
It took them all 14 games to make it to the final four, although credit must be given to them as they didn't let it reach a point where their future in the tournament was reliant on how other games panned out.
The Super Giants have coped well with captain KL Rahul's injury with vital contributions everywhere from the top to the lower order. Although no batsman has scored more than 400 runs, the batting unit has worked in unison and have ensured LSG remain one of the better teams when it comes to batting.
In bowling, Mark Wood looked in red-hot form in the initial phase of the season, but an untimely injury forced him to be on the sidelines and miss the rest of the season. But that hasn't hindered LSG one bit.
LSG have been a consistent team this season. They hovered in or around the top four for the entirety of the season, and stormed into the playoffs with three consecutive wins in their last three games.
They will play the eliminator against Mumbai Indians (MI).
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Lucknow Super Giants fixtures, results, and man of the match
The Super Giants finished the league phase of IPL 2023 with 17 points, one less than last season. They won eight games, lost five, while one game was washed out.
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Result | Man of the match |
| April 1, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Won by 50 runs | Mark Wood (LSG) |
| April 3, 2023 | Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Lost by 12 runs | Moeen Ali (CSK) |
| April 7, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Won by 5 wickets | Krunal Pandya (LSG) |
| April 10, 2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | Won by 1 wicket | Nicholas Pooran (LSG) |
| April 15, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Lost by 2 wickets | Sikandar Raza (PBKS) |
| April 19, 2023 | Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Won by 10 runs | Marcus Stoinis (LSG) |
| April 22, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Lost by 7 runs | Mohit Sharma (GT) |
| April 28, 2023 | Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Won by 56 runs | Marcus Stoinis (LSG) |
| May 1, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Lost by 18 runs | Faf du Plessis (RCB) |
| May 3, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | No result | NA |
| May 7, 2023 | Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Lost by 56 runs | Shubman Gill (GT) |
| May 13, 2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Won by 7 wickets | Prerak Mankad (LSG) |
| May 16, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Won by 5 runs | Marcus Stoinis (LSG) |
| May 20, 2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Won by 1 run | Nicholas Pooran (LSG) |
| May 24, 2023 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | NA | NA |
Lucknow Super Giants' best batsmen in IPL 2023 league stage
The season started with a bang for LSG with West Indies southpaw Kyle Mayers wasting no time to show why he is one of the most destructive T20 batsmen around. He formed a good opening pair with KL Rahul, who scored 274 runs in nine innings.
LSG have so far scored the highest total of this year's IPL, scoring 257 runs against Punjab Kings. It is also the second highest total ever posted by a team in IPL history, only behind RCB's 263-5 in 2013.
While the openers have blown hot and cold for LSG, it has been the power-packed middle-order that has won the Lucknow-based outfit a number of games.
Marcus Stoinis has been the top run-getter for LSG this year with 368 runs to his name. Nicholas Pooran is not to far behind, scoring 358 runs at an exhilarating strike rate of 173.79.
Uncapped youngster Ayush Badoni has also repaid the faith the LSG management have shown in him, proving to be a flexible option in both the middle and the lower-middle order.
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | Best |
| Marcus Stoinis | 14 | 368 | 30.66 | 150.20 | 3 | 0 | 89* |
| Kyle Mayers | 12 | 361 | 30.08 | 144.40 | 4 | 0 | 73 |
| Nicholas Pooran | 14 | 358 | 32.54 | 173.79 | 2 | 0 | 62 |
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Lucknow Super Giants' best bowlers in IPL 2023 league stage
Ravi Bishnoi has been LSG's best bowler by a country mile, taking up 16 wickets and bowling crucial spells in the middle overs.
Mark Wood picked up 11 wickets before an injury ended his campaign. Even though he played just four games, he is the second-highest wicket-taker for LSG heading into the playoffs and was crucial to LSG's good form in the early half of the season.
Youngster Yash Thakur has been a great find for the Super Giants this year as he has picked up 10 wickets in eight games and has been a good death bowler.
Speaking of death bowling, Afghanistan bowler Naveen ul-Haq has also shone for LSG, picking up seven wickets in as many games.
Krunal Pandya, Avesh Khan, and Amit Mishra have also played a role in LSG's success with the ball.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | S.R. | Econ. | Best |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 14 | 16 | 22.56 | 17.43 | 7.76 | 3-28 |
| Mark Wood | 4 | 11 | 11.81 | 8.72 | 8.12 | 5-14 |
| Yash Thakur | 8 | 10 | 25.50 | 9.16 | 16.70 | 4-37 |