With two playoff berths in the previous cycle, the Lucknow Super Giants have performed admirably for a team that has only participated in three IPL editions thus far. However, following a disappointing 2024 season in which they placed eighth, LSG had to recruit a new leader to lead them after their split with former captain KL Rahul. At an astounding INR 27 crore, Rishabh Pant arrived to don the LSG blue, becoming him the most costly IPL player in the process. Additionally, the coaching staff changed when Zaheer Khan was brought in as the team’s mentor.
Prior to the auction, LSG decided to keep five players, including Nicholas Pooran (INR 21 Crore), Indian players Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav (INR 11 Crore each), and Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni (INR 11 Crore each). With the addition of Akash Deep, they were able to bolster their Indian fast bowling outfit and bring back Avesh Khan. The attack is prone to injury even though pace is promised because LSG is already concerned about Mayank, Mohsin, and Avesh’s health.
To strengthen their batting unit, which waned in the middle of the previous season, LSG has also added hard-hitting players like David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Matthew Breetzke to its foreign squad. In addition, they signed Aiden Markram, the captain of South Africa’s T20I team, when Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis left. The Lucknow-based team will have an opportunity to demonstrate that they can run another successful campaign in the new era under Pant.
Full Squad:
Rishabh Pant (c), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Manimaran Siddarth Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
This season, the Super Giants are heavily depending on their homegrown players to perform well while the ball is in their possession. However, Mayank, Mohsin, and Avesh—the three main members of their fast-bowling attack—are currently fighting for time to be ready for their IPL opener. Mohsin has only participated in three Twenty20 Internationals and seven List-A matches since the IPL last year, and Mayank hasn’t played since October 2024 following the three Twenty20 Internationals against Bangladesh.
To make matters worse, Mitchell Marsh, an all-rounder from Australia, has just returned from a back injury that prevented him from competing in the most recent Champions Trophy. A keen eye will be kept on his fitness and whether he can feature in all 14 games in the league phase while essaying his role of an all-rounder.
The player who needs to prove something is:
Rishabh Pant: Being the most costly player in the IPL is not something to take lightly. Despite being in both squads, Pant did not play in the Champions Trophy, which was just finished, or the five-match T20I series against England in January. He will get an opportunity to demonstrate to the Indian selectors that he is still a valuable member of the T20 league.
