IPL 2025: Injury-hit LSG vows to play attacking cricket

Lucknow: This is probably the first time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history that multiple teams are struggling with their pace units due to injuries.

MI’s Jasprit Bumrah, whose injury in the final Border-Gavaskar Test in Sydney kept him out of India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign along with teammates Lizaad Williams and Allah Ghazanfar, KKR’s Umran Malik, LSG’s pace trio of Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Mohsin Khan are all unlikely to be match-fit by the time the 18th edition of the league gets underway in Kolkata on Saturday.

For now, Lucknow Super Giants have roped in all-rounder Shardul Thakur and Shivam Mavi as likely replacements although an official announcement is awaited. LSG’s mentor and former India pacer Zaheer Khan feels that teams should stay positive and find ways to tackle the situation.

“The situation is dynamic for some of our players due to injuries. But it’s time that we look for positives and adopt things to tackle the situation amicably. Some players are at the National Cricket Academy and others are spending time with their physios. Right now, it will not be right to say anything about this. The situation will be dynamic this season,” he said on Wednesday.

Zaheer, however, said that such tricky situations are always around whenever IPL happens. “When you talk about IPL, you know that there can be uncertainties of this kind. LSG’s support staff is working with the pacers in the same way, and we have plans for the season in the same way,” he said, adding, “We have 24 players in the squad, and we know how to win matches.”

Zaheer, who quit IPL in 2017 after 102 wickets in 100 matches, believes that workload management varies among pacers. “I want everyone to play more and more cricket, and I do see different people employing differing workload management tricks. There can’t be only one way for every situation. One has to play to their strength. When I sustained injuries during my playing days, I tweaked my bowling style.”

“You have to control things in the same way. If you ask me, we are not talking about injuries. What is important here is that we are looking at things in the same way as a good team should play cricket for IPL. If you want to talk about injuries, then you have your captains. They have seen things in the same way as they too have faced the challenges.”

Zaheer was excited about LSG’s prospects under the leadership of new skipper Rishabh Pant. “For sure, under Pant’s leadership, LSG is bound to play an attacking brand of cricket and that too with a lot of enthusiasm. It is a very positive unit. You will definitely see a fearless approach from this team and Pant,” he said. “We are very excited and looking forward to the start of the season.”

“We have a smart captain, and we have high hopes from him and as far as I have seen, Pant will come out as a good leader. He communicates with the players quite well and backs them,” said Zaheer.

“We aren’t bothered about what people say about Pant’s style of batting but as a mentor, I would love to see him play in his free-flowing style as he can destroy any kind of attack.”

“The most important thing is that if you play according to your potential then you can make a difference.”

On being asked for a different role for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy skipper Ayush Badoni, who has been in fine form this domestic season, Zaheer said Badoni’s retention was proof of how important he was to the side.

“Badoni has been retained for a reason. He has contributed to this franchise in that way and his domestic season was also very good. So, we have high hopes from him for this franchise,” he said.