Key Points
Mayank Yadav recovering from lumbar stress injury
Rishabh Pant leads Lucknow Super Giants
LSG facing potential bowling unit challenges
Team remains positive about season outlook
Lucknow, under the captaincy of Rishab Pant, will begin their campaign at the ACAVDCA Cricket Stadium on March 24 and the timelines for the return of Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan all remain under the cloud.
"We can't really say much as our players are currently with the NCA. We are working alongside them to see how things move forward. The situation is dynamic and when you're talking about the IPL you have to be ready for uncertainties to occur. We plan for the season accordingly with 24 players, we have to field the playing XI that upholds the brand of cricket we want and win. This is a positive unit and you will get to see a positive approach," said Zaheer in a press conference.
The biggest loss for the bowling unit is of pace sensation Mayank, who started bowling in nets on Monday, as LSG await fitness clearance from the BCCI. The pacer is recovering from a lumbar stress injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has been undergoing rehab after getting injured following his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh last October.
As per earlier reports, the pacer is likely to miss the first half of IPL 2025 but the recent development gives hope for his early return to Lucknow fans.
The 22-year-old impressed one and all with his sheer pace of more than 150 kmph in his debut IPL season last year. He played just four matches and claimed seven wickets before injury ruled him out of the tournament. He also bagged two consecutive Player of the Match accolades in the four matches.
With their heavily depleted bowling attack, it is expected that the Lucknow based franchise will hope to fill the gap as soon as possible in hopes of not letting the injuries derail the start to the season. Amidst uncertainty, Shardul Thakur and Shivam Mavi were seen bowling at the LSG nets.
"There can't be a single method for every situation. Injuries should be controlled. We are not even talking about injuries. Our priority is good cricket, we have a good captain, we have a good team. Rishabh Pant is a good player," he added.
