Quinton de Kock is back in the Lucknow Super Giants squad after the completion of South Africa’s ODI series against the Netherlands. However, Kyle Mayers’ blistering knocks in the first two games have made his path to the XI a complicated one.
LSG had bought Evin Lewis and Kyle Mayers, two batters capable of hitting at top, in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022. While Lewis had been a well-known commodity for a long time, Mayers was just starting to make his name in international cricket, following his fourth-innings double hundred on debut in Bangladesh. Lewis played five games for LSG last season, making 73 runs at a strike rate of 131.
Mayers did not get a game in 2022, but for some reason, the Lucknow management retained Mayers and not Lewis for IPL 2023. Two games into the season, it feels a masterstroke. Mayers has slammed 126 runs at a strike rate of 210. While that is excellent news, one cannot help but wonder what this means for de Kock, their incumbent opener who is back after missing two games due to national commitment.
Can Lucknow afford to keep Quinton de Kock out?
The most obvious solution to the problem will be to do nothing and continue with Mayers as long as he is striking the way he is at this point. Yet, one look at de Kock’s IPL records over the last few years will tell you that keeping him out will require immense courage.
De Kock has scored more than 500 runs in three of the last four seasons, and is the fifth-highest run-getter overall since IPL 2019. In the last season, his best, he amassed 508 runs at an average of 36.3 and a strike rate of 149. Opening batting with KL Rahul, he would take the game on right from the start, striking at 137 inside the powerplay, and accelerating as he progressed.
Can Lucknow drop Kyle Mayers?
The other obvious solution will be to replace Mayers with de Kock, but even that does not seem an obvious choice either. Mayers has hit 10 fours and nine sixes so far in just two innings – a boundary every 3.15 balls, a rate better than twice the 7.63 his teammates have managed.
Mayers has not just been good, he has been hitting at a different level. Lucknow would be shooting themselves in the foot if they drop him at this stage.
Who can de Kock replace then?
The three overseas players for LSG apart from Mayers were Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, and Mark Wood. While a fit Wood is a sure starter, the axe may fall on one of Stoinis or Pooran to accommodate de Kock.
Stoinis, in particular, is the most at risk. He has not had a great start to the tournament, scoring 33 runs at a strike rate of 118 after two games. Pooran, on the other hand, has played handy cameos while batting at the end of the innings, scoring 68 runs at a strike rate of 174.
Who opens the batting?
Even if LSG decide to bring in de Kock in place of Stoinis, they still have to figure out how they fit Rahul, de Kock, and Mayers together, given all three are primarily openers in the format. More than 90 percent of de Kock’s T20 innings have come as an opener, while Rahul has opened in more than 75 percent of his T20 matches.
Among the three, Mayers has the most experience playing in the middle order. Only around half of his T20 innings so far have come as an opener.
LSG can do with Mayers what they did last season with Lewis, slotting him at No.3 after Rahul and de Kock. It will allow Mayers to take on the spinners after the powerplay if the openers bat long enough, which they generally do.
The less likely but potentially more impactful move will be to open with Mayers and de Kock and have Rahul come in at No.3 or No.4. It has been a while since Rahul has batted in the middle order in T20s, but he has made a home for himself in the middle order in ODIs and has the experience to nail the role. In fact, his two T20I centuries have come from No.3 and No.4.
This will allow Mayers to continue expressing himself at the top and make full use of the fielding restrictions, while also lending solidity and reliability to the middle order.
This is a problem of plenty in its truest essence for the Lucknow Super Giants with no perfect solution.
