Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has opened up on Lucknow Super Giants’ potential challenges in the upcoming Indian Premier League. The renowned commentator noted that Mitchell Marsh won’t bowl in the forthcoming edition and it will be a blow for the team.
Marsh is known for his explosive batting but Chopra feels the Australian could have been a handy bowler on a red soil pitch in Lucknow. The all-rounder was bagged for INR 3.40 crore by LSG in IPL 2025 mega auction.
“The first and biggest challenge is injury concerns. Mitchell Marsh is not available as a bowler. You want to play Mitchell Marsh because he does two jobs. Considering the sort of pitch in Lucknow, red soil with a little grass, his bowling would also have worked decently. Then he becomes like a match-winner, but he won’t bowl now,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Furthermore, Chopra highlighted that Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav are injured.
“After that, the injury concerns are not with him only. Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan are injured. If so many people are injured, and in case you have to play Akash Deep, Akash Singh and Shamar Joseph, the combination will totally change then. The injuries are already coming to the fore as a big challenge,” he elaborated.
In the bowling line-up, Chopra feels leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi is the solitary wicket-taking bowler whereas the Indian pace battery lacks experience.
“When I look at spin, Ravi Bishnoi is your only attacking wicket-taking spinner. Shahbaz Ahmed is okay. Then the Indian fast-bowling attack, which is promising, but extremely inexperienced. If the entire bowling attack is Indian, it sounds great, but we will get to know how effective it would be only after the season starts,” he said.
The renowned commentator reckons LSG could face challenges in the bowling department when they travel to other venues.
“This team can do well at home with this bowling attack, but when they travel, and play on extremely flat pitches, I don’t know, because we haven’t seen it thus far. This team could be seen slightly troubled in away games from their bowling department point of view,” Chopra observed.
LSG will begin their IPL campaign against Delhi Capitals at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on 24th March.
