Ahead of Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) home clash against five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), pacer Akash Deep has declared himself “100 per cent fit and ready” to play after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him for the past three months.
The match at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow will see two struggling teams—both with just one win in three matches—battle for momentum in IPL 2025. For Akash Deep, this game could mark his return to competitive cricket after an extended absence. The pacer, who played two Tests in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, suffered an injury before the fifth Test at Sydney. He joined the LSG camp on April 2, two days ahead of the fixture.
“The first match is very important for me. I have played one practice match, but after a two to three-month break, no matter how much you practice, confidence only builds when you play a real match,” Akash Deep said in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Akash last played a T20 match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during IPL 2024 in April. Since 2022, he has featured in eight IPL games, taking seven wickets. His only T20 match in the past 18 months was in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (October-November 2023). RCB released him ahead of the 2024 Mega Auction, and LSG secured his services for Rs. 8 crore.
“The jersey changes, but the player remains the same. I am really enjoying my time with this franchise. Though I have not been with the team for long due to injury, I feel quite confident,” he added.
LSG’s slow start under new captain Rishabh Pant—losing to Delhi Capitals, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad, and then falling to Punjab Kings—has been impacted by injuries to key pacers. Mohsin Khan has been ruled out of the tournament, with Shardul Thakur replacing him. Mayank Yadav’s return from a lumbar stress injury has been further delayed by a toe injury, leaving Avesh Khan and Prince Yadav as the main fast-bowling options.
Despite the setbacks, Akash Deep remains optimistic about LSG’s bowling attack. “Performance is not always in our control as a team. We have played just three matches, and IPL is a long tournament. Despite four fast bowlers being injured, our first match performance was great. The best is yet to come,” he asserted.
The young pacer is also eager to learn from LSG’s mentor, Indian pace legend Zaheer Khan. “I feel lucky to play under such a big coach for two months. His experience will help me refine the small technical aspects of my game. As a fast bowler, major changes aren’t possible, but fine-tuning can make a difference,” he said.
Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (w), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Satyanarayana Raju, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Bevon Jacobs, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar.
Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Himmat Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Shamar Joseph, Arshin Kulkarni.
