Why is Quinton de Kock Not Playing Today’s IPL 2023 Eliminator Between Lucknow and Mumbai at Chepauk?

Lucknow Super Giants have made a couple of changes to their Playing XI for Indian Premier League 2023 Eliminator against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tonight. The development has resulted in both their opening batters namely Karan Sharma and Quinton de Kock not part of the starting XI for the first knockout match of the competition.

Batter Deepak Hooda and pacer Yash Thakur have come in for the two above mentioned players. One of his worst IPL seasons has seen Hooda score only 69 runs across 11 innings at an average and strike rate of 6.90 and 89.61 respectively. That said, the team management backing an experienced campaigner like him in a playoff match isn’t surprising.

Thakur, on the other hand, had played as an Impact Player in their last match. Third-highest wicket-taker for Lucknow this season, the right-arm bowler has picked 10 wickets at an economy and strike rate of 9.16 and 16.70 respectively.

Why is Quinton de Kock Not Playing Today vs Mumbai Indians?

de Kock, who has scored 143 runs at an average of 35.75 and a strike rate of 140.19 across four innings, has been left out in an astonishing move. With Star Sports commentator Ravi Shastri not asking Super Giants captain Krunal Pandya about these changes at the toss, exact rationale behind the same is not known.

Considering how LSG have only three overseas players in Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran and Naveen-ul-Haq in their Playing XI, they have an option of bringing in another overseas player as a substitute.

However, the South African cricketer can’t be included as an Impact Player because he isn’t among their five substitutes. They are Kyle Mayers, Daniel Sams, Yudhvir Singh, Swapnil Singh and Amit Mishra. As far as keeping wickets is concerned, Pooran has been again conferred with the duty behind the stumps.

Assuming Mayers opens the batting for Lucknow on Wednesday, it will result in the team returning to its tactic of preferring him over de Kock.

It is noteworthy that Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma has won the toss and chose to bat. A couple of changes for them have come in the form of batter Tilak Varma and spinner Hrithik Shokeen playing ahead of batter Nehal Wadhera and Kumar Kartikeya.