In their debut season of IPL 2024, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) began strong with three victories out of their first four matches. However, they were unable to maintain a winning streak of more than two games after that. In the end, LSG had the lowest net run-rate (-0.667) among the four teams with 14 points. Unfortunately for them, the top team out of the four secured a spot in the playoffs.
Prior to the previous mega auction, LSG released KL Rahul, who had successfully led them to two playoffs during the 2022 and 2023 seasons – a first for the team in the IPL. In his place, Rishabh Pant was acquired for a record-breaking fee of INR 27 crore and has now been appointed as captain. Their opening match of IPL 2025 will see LSG facing off against Pant’s previous team, Delhi Capitals (DC), in Visakhapatnam.
Aiden Markram and Shahbaz Ahmed, two new additions to the team, are competing for spots in the middle-order alongside Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni, both of whom remain with the team. David Miller and Abdul Samad have also been brought in as options for finishing the innings. Additionally, LSG has Matthew Breetzke on their roster as a back-up opener. Mitchell Marsh has been given clearance to participate in IPL 2025 solely as a batsman, potentially making him a preferred choice for opening. However, this could leave LSG short on allrounders or spare bowlers.
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The bowling attack for the team has a strong Indian presence, with Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan both retained. However, injuries have affected their ability to shoulder fast-bowling responsibilities, along with Avesh Khan and Akash Deep. With that in mind, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar may need to step up, though they may not strike fear in opponents. The only guaranteed player among the bowlers is Ravi Bishnoi who was also retained. LSG is one of two teams- the other being Rajasthan Royals- with only six overseas players on their roster, which is the fewest among all teams. This will likely pose a challenge for the team’s new mentor Zaheer Khan and his staff.
The most probable top twelve.
1 Yuvraj Chaudhary/Arshin Kulkarni, 2 Mitchell Marsh*, 3 Nicholas Pooran*, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller*, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, and either Shamar Joseph* or Akash Singh/Prince Yadav at number 11.
Since their T20 World Cup victory last year, India has played 20 matches, in which Pant only appeared twice. During this time, the team has focused mainly on Test cricket and prioritized rest and recovery. As an opener and wicketkeeper, Samju Samson has been in excellent form and has become a key player for the Indian team. While LSG lacks an established Indian opener in their squad, Pant could potentially move up the batting order with one eye on his future goals with the national team. Interestingly, of his 13 IPL innings in positions ranging from 3 to 5, Pant’s best average (39.36) and strike-rate (169.14) have come at No. 3 – though this is based on a small sample size.
Other possible contenders for the opening position, if Marsh or Markram are preferred, are Arshin Kulkarni and Yuvraj Chaudhary. In his two appearances for LSG last season, Kulkarni opened the innings and played a vital role in Maharashtra’s success at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Similarly, Chaudhary also made a strong impression as an opener in the Uttarakhand Premier League 2024, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 192.80 and maintaining an average of 80.5. At the SMAT, Chaudhary once again proved his batting prowess by being the highest run-scorer for Uttarakhand with 234 runs at a strike rate of 168.34, which included a century. Apart from their batting skills, both players also contribute with their bowling abilities – Kulkarni as a medium-pacer and Chaudhary with his left-arm spin.
The lack of key players Mayank, Mohsin, and Avesh in LSG’s fast-bowling lineup may hinder their performance. Consequently, their bowling could be exposed, indicating that Lucknow’s pitches may favor spinners during the tournament.
Some important figures to note are the following:
Over the past three IPL seasons, the Ekana Stadium, which serves as LSG’s home venue, has consistently held the lowest average score.
Following the T20 World Cup 2024, Bishnoi has recorded the second-highest number of wickets for India in T20Is.
This season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shahbaz achieved his first T20 hundred and recorded a strike rate of 176.86 for Bengal. He performed primarily as a Nos. 5 and 6 batsman and also impressed with seven wickets, making him the top-performing spinner for the team.
Who’s uncertain of joining us?
LSG would have expected Marsh to bring a balanced contribution, but his return from a back injury has limited him to batting alone. However, he remains a potential game-changer for the team. Unfortunately, LSG’s preferred bowling lineup is also facing some setbacks. Mohsin sustained an ACL injury during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while Mayank will miss the first half of IPL 2025 due to a back injury. Avesh and Akash Deep are both on the road to recovery from knee and back injuries respectively.
Although Shardul Thakur and Shivam Mavi have been training at the LSG camp, they have not been officially selected as replacements for injured players.
