
Revamped LSG Look to Upgrade Fortunes Under Rishabh Pant
Squad Changes and Leadership
- New Captain: Rishabh Pant takes over as captain, signed for a record INR 27 crore.
- Coaching Update: Zaheer Khan joins as mentor.
- Overseas Imports: David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, and Aiden Markram added to bolster batting.
Auction Highlights
- Retentions: Nicholas Pooran (INR 21 Cr), Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav (INR 11 Cr each), Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni.
- Acquisitions: Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Aiden Markram.
- Departures: Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis.
Injury/Availability Concerns
- Key Pace Bowling Unit: Mayank, Mohsin, and Avesh racing to recover for IPL opener.
- Mitchell Marsh: Recovering from back injury, fitness to be monitored.
Fixture Build-Up
- Opening Matches: Away games against Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Home Games: First home game on April 1, with five of seven home games in April.
- Travel Schedule: Balanced travel with no more than two consecutive away games.
Squad List
- Batsmen: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller.
- Bowlers: Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Akash Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Manimaran Siddarth.
- Others: Aryan Juyal, Himmat Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph.
Key Players to Watch
- Rishabh Pant: Aims to prove his worth after missing recent T20I series.
- Akash Deep: Potential breakout player, acquired for INR 8 crore.
Home Ground Stat
- Ekana Stadium: Lowest average first-innings total in IPL since 2023. Will the track be more batsman-friendly this season?