We narrowly missed the IPL 2024 playoffs but our journey throughout the season was packed with several standout performances and memorable moments. 

Despite our campaign ending early this year, the team's attitude and fighting spirit have given us much to look forward to for the next season.

Here we take a glance at some of the many positive takeaways for us from IPL 2024!

Our top performers

KL Rahul

Captain KL Rahul was the epitome of consistency, scoring 520 runs in 14 matches with an average of 37.14. His 82-run blitz against the Chennai Super Kings in an eight-wicket romp was a masterclass. 

Apart from his batting and captaincy, Rahul was also brilliant behind the stumps, effecting 16 dismissals. 

Nicholas Pooran

Nicholas Pooran, our pocket-sized dynamo, was on fire, racking up 499 runs at a jaw-dropping average of 62.37 and a strike rate of 178.21. He also scored three fifties with his pyrotechnics and his 75 off 29 balls against Mumbai Indians, peppered with eight monstrous sixes, left the opposition and fans in awe. Pooran's finishing skills were the stuff of legends, turning tight matches into comfortable wins.

Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis with 388 runs from 14 games is next on the list. He scored a hundred and two fifties averaging 32.33 and striking at 147.52. His hundred against CSK at Chennai was one for the ages. Stoinis also picked up four wickets with his medium pace and was brilliant on the field too.

Naveen-ul-Haq

Naveen-ul-Haq was one of our star performers with the ball. He picked up 14 wickets from 12 matches that included a 3/49 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Lucknow. 

Naveen's knack for delivering crucial breakthroughs made him the go-to man in crunch situations. He always bowled the tough overs and averaged 26.57 with a strike-rate of 15.64. 

Yash Thakur

Yash Thakur picked 11 wickets from 10 matches with a strike rate of 19.36. He picked up a five-wicket haul in our 33-run home win against Gujarat Titans. His 5/30 was only the second time an LSG bowler picked up five wickets in an innings.

Memorable moments

Mayank thunderbolts

In a season where batters called most of the shots, the sight of Mayank Yadav with the ball made them quiver in their pads. 

The 21-year-old fast bowler clocked 156.7 kmph in a game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru which is one of the fastest balls in the history of IPL. It was not only about pace but the lengths Mayank hit which made life difficult for the batters.

Mayank won the Player of the Match award in his first two appearances for us this season, getting three-wicket hauls against RCB and Punjab Kings. In just four matches, the pacer took seven wickets and made an instant impact.

Unfortunately, Mayank got injured in our game against GT where he could bowl only one over. Post rehab Mayank made a comeback later in the Mumbai Indians game but could not complete his full spell as injury returned to haunt him. 

Despite the injury setback, Mayank's fiery spells and Player of the Match awards in his debut season showed he's one to watch out for in the next season.

MS finishes off in style at Chepauk

Marcus Stoinis orchestrated a breathtaking chase against CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Chasing 211, Stoinis walked in during the first over as both our openers were dismissed in the powerplay.

Stoinis played the role of an anchor and aggressor at the same time as he had to deal with the fall of early wickets without losing track of the required run rate. We needed 123 runs from the last nine overs when Nicky P joined Stoinis in the middle.

Stoinis, who reached his 50 in just 26 balls, was looking good for a big one but the chase looked like a mountain to climb, especially with the sea of yellow whistling and backing the home team to go the distance.

Stoinis put in a chasing masterclass as he clubbed the famed death bowlers into oblivion with his brute power. He completed his century off just 56 balls in the 18th over before taking the team past the finish line with three balls to spare.

Stoinis hit six sixes and 13 fours to remain unbeaten on 124 in 63 balls and take us home by six wickets. The all-rounder’s knock was the highest individual score in a run chase in the IPL as we scripted the highest successful run chase in the IPL at Chennai, leaving the crowd shell-shocked and silent.

Arshad - The Destroyer

Arshad Khan came up with one of the most impactful performances for us this season in our penultimate match at Delhi, albeit in a losing cause. The all-rounder dismissed big-hitting Jake Fraser McGurk in the first over to keep DC to 208/4 before turning out to be our unlikely hero with the bat.

Nicky P’s counter-attacking half-century kept us in the chase after we lost four wickets in the first five overs but his dismissal reduced us to 101/6 with 104 required from the last eight overs. However, Arshad Khan made sure we stayed in the game. He belted five sixes and three fours to remain unbeaten on 58 off just 33 balls and secure his first fifty in the IPL.

He took us close to sealing one of our best wins in the IPL but lost partners frequently at the other side. In the end, it was a case of so near yet so far for us. DC won the game by 19 runs but not before surviving a scare from the left-handed Arshad’s onslaught.

Arshad’s heroics with the willow that night earned him the nickname of ‘Arshad - The Destroyer’ from the commentators, who praised the 26-year-old’s efforts in getting us close. With that display, Arshad is surely one of our most promising domestic players to watch out for in the upcoming seasons.

Ekana Stadium - IPL 2024

The Super Giants enjoyed strong home support at the Ekana Stadium, winning four out of seven matches. They completed season doubles over CSK and Mumbai Indians, showing their mettle against the best. Although heavy losses affected their net run rate, the passionate home crowd made every game an event to remember.