LSG’s revamp aims to improve fortunes under Rishabh Pant.

With two playoff berths in the previous cycle, the LSG 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, Lucknow Super Giants 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.

Whole Squad:

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, Rishabh Pant (c), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad,

The current best XII is:

Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Akash Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Manimaran Siddarth, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Rishabh Pant (c & wk)

Concerns about availability and injury:

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. His fitness and ability to play all 14 league games while assuming the role of an all-rounder will be closely monitored.

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.

A player with a promising season ahead of them?

Akash Deep: After he rose to prominence in the Indian squad, LSG paid INR 8 crore to get the fast bowler. Due to injury worries with the aforementioned pace three, the fast bowler, who has only played eight games since making his IPL debut in 2022, may be a staple with LSG.

Buildup and run-in of fixtures…

LSG will play two away games to start the season: first against the Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam, followed by a quick trip to Hyderabad to play the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will play five of their seven planned home games during the month of April, including their first home game on April 1. LSG has a balanced travel plan this season because the IPL is recognized for being a demanding travel schedule. They only have a maximum of two away games in a row before playing an equal number of games at home.

This season’s home ground statistic to keep an eye on

165: Since its debut on the IPL circuit in 2023, the Ekana stadium has had the lowest average first-innings total of any IPL venue. It will be interesting to watch if the Lucknow tracks will be as easy to bat on as the other locations in this impact subera when batters take long-levers from ball one.