India allrounder Shardul Thakur didn’t get picked in last year’s IPL mega auction, but he’s now got a deal with the Lucknow Super Giants for his base price of Rs 2 crore. He steps in for injured left-arm bowler Mohsin Khan in the team led by Rishabh Pant for IPL 2025.
LSG kicks off their season on Monday against the Delhi Capitals at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. According to The Indian Express, the BCCI’s Center of Excellence mentioned that Khan is “50 percent fit” and might be back during the season. Thakur has made his way to Vizag for the opener and is expected to partner with West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph to start the bowling.
Reportedly, Thakur signed his contract after getting a fitness report from the COE on Saturday afternoon. LSG has been dealing with injuries to four Indian fast bowlers as the season starts. Besides Khan, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, and Avesh Khan are also managing their own fitness issues. Akash and Avesh are likely to miss the first three games, while Mayank is expected to be ready by mid-April.
LSG mentor and former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan noted that the team needs to be prepared for the “uncertainties” that come with these injury problems. We can’t really say much since our players are currently with the NCA. We’re keeping in touch with them to see how things unfold. The situation is always changing, and in the IPL, you have to be ready for anything. We’ve planned for the season with 24 players and need to field a team that reflects our style of play and aims to win. This is a positive group, and you’ll see that approach, Zaheer said during a media chat.
LSG is looking to bounce back after finishing 7th in the standings last year. Due to their poor performance, they parted ways with captain KL Rahul and made headlines by splashing out Rs 27 crore to bring in Rishabh Pant.
