Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) bowling unit appears inexperienced and relatively young. How will this affect their chances in IPL 2025.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) let victory slip through their fingers against Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025. Lucknow reduced Delhi to 113/6 while defending 210 before a blinder from Ashutosh Sharma robbed them of a win. The match exposed Lucknow’s lack of depth in their bowling attack, as they failed to defend 210 despite being in a commanding position. Let’s take a look at how Lucknow’s bowling firepower—or lack thereof—cost them the victory and how it could hurt them in future games.
Substantial investment in batters, not bowlers
Lucknow invested heavily in their batting, acquiring Rishabh Pant for ₹27 crore and previously retaining Nicholas Pooran for ₹21 crore. They also brought in other star batters, including Australia’s Mitchell Marsh and South Africa’s Aiden Markram and David Miller. All four were included in the XI against Delhi, and at one stage, they seemed poised for a 250-plus total. However, the absence of a reliable India lower-order batter forced them to settle for a score below 210.
On the bowling front, apart from West Indies’ Shamar Joseph, Lucknow lacked any overseas firepower in their squad. But with four foreign batters already in the XI, Joseph had to remain on the bench against Delhi. His presence could have strengthened the pace attack. Instead, Lucknow relied on India pacers like Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Mohsin Khan, and Mayank Yadav. However, none of them were available for the game due to injuries.
Read More: IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants Squad complete analysis, Probable playing XI
Injury concerns for LSG
LSG had hoped their local bowling talent would compensate for the lack of overseas bowling stars in the squad. However, injuries to key India bowlers forced them to make adjustments. They brought in Shardul Thakur to replace the injured Mohsin Khan, who was ruled out of the tournament. Thakur, who had gone unsold in the auction, is primarily a middle-overs containing bowler rather than a strike option. With Avesh Khan and Akash Deep still unavailable due to injuries, Lucknow had to rely on bowlers with limited first-class experience, which ultimately cost them the match.
Supporting Thakur was right-arm pacer Prince Yadav, who had played just two First-Class matches and nine T20s before this game. He struggled against Delhi, conceding 47 runs without taking a wicket. The absence of a quality, experienced pace bowler proved costly for Lucknow in this crucial encounter.
Lack of experienced spinners
Except for Ravi Bishnoi, who features in T20Is for India, Lucknow didn’t have many experienced spinners to choose from in their squad. They fielded two relatively new faces—Manimaran Siddharth and Digvesh Rathi—who had played fewer than 20 combined T20 matches and just eight First-Class games. While their scouting team may have seen potential in them, experience is irreplaceable in high-pressure games.
Bishnoi, who conceded 53 runs for two wickets in four overs against Delhi, needs a strong supporting spinner to form a potent duo. Shahbaz Ahmed, while an option, is more of a batting all-rounder than a frontline spinner. This lack of experience in the spin department remains a major concern for Lucknow.
LSG’s batting overshadows their bowling
LSG’s squad is a classic case of an auction strategy gone wrong—where too much money was spent on batters, while the bowling unit seemed like an afterthought. The lack of an outright pacer, an overseas star bowler, and an inexperienced spin department are some of the key concerns the team must address. Getting Avesh and Deep match-ready will be crucial, along with backing their young spinners to support Bishnoi.
Lucknow assistant coach Lance Klusener acknowledged the challenges posed by injuries in the bowling unit, stating, “We don’t have a lot of reserves with the ball, so we’re going to have to just probably mix and match until we start getting players back.” He also emphasised the need for the team to “stand up and stand tall with the bat” in their upcoming matches.
Read More: IPL 2025, DC vs LSG, Hits & Flops: Delhi’s lower middle order snatch victory; Pant disappoints fans
