Not retaining Marcus Stoinis was a mistake, now LSG should avoid using RTM

IPL Auction: Marcus Stoinis should have been one of the IPL Retentions for LSG. Instead the team went with two uncapped players.

If one goes back to IPL Retentions, LSG comes across as a team that did not do justice at the event. They had an option of saving some very decent players, and did just the opposite. Yes, one can argue that KL Rahul didn’t want to stay after his alleged fall out with Sanjiv Goenka..but why were Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni retained?

LSG, Sanjiv Goenka Should Avoid Marcus Stoinis

Why wasn’t a player like Marcus Stoinis retained, who is all good with the bat and the ball. That was evident in the IPL 2024 season, where he picked up 4 wickets in 14 matches, could squeeze in valuable overs when needed, and also scored 388 runs. That also included a ton as well as two fifties. If that is not enough, he gave a good account of himself in the recent AUS vs PAK series.

There, during a small chase, he went on to score 61 from just 27 deliveries. His innings included 5 sixes and as many fours, and showed once again that he is a complete utility player. Now, compare that to someone like a Mohsin Khan, he had 10 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 38, and an economy rate of 10.13.

IPL Auction 2025

That doesn’t make sense at all, isn’t it. But now, all that in the past now. What LSG should be looking at is — not to make another mistake. The IPL Auction will be held in Jeddah on Nov 24, 25, and the team would be tempted to RTM Marcus Stoinis. But truth be told, he might not be the best pick for them now.

They have 1 RTM left, and a purse of INR 69 Cr. Look, firstly, Stoinis now won’t come cheap, and LSG could be looking at 12-15 Cr just to get him back. Secondly, they also have the options of RTMing players like Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda or even Devdutt Padikkal, who would come for much cheaper, and help them restore the balance of the team.