Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan said the Hyderabad pitch did not suit Mohammed Shami in IPL 2025 however the Lucknow track will provide more assistance to the seamer. Shami was traded to LSG ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction after he was bought for INR 10 crore by SRH in the mega auction.
Shami has performed consistently in the domestic circuit for Bengal but he has been continuously ignored by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel.
Shami didn’t have a great run in IPL 2025, taking six wickets in nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an average of 56.16 and a high economy rate of 11.23.
However, Shami scalped 37 wickets in seven Ranji Trophy matches of the previous season at an average of 16.73 and played a key role in taking Bengal to the semifinal of the tournament.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “I would expect Shami to regain his old rhythm and intensity. He has that natural skill with the new ball, so he will deliver. If there is even a little help from the pitch, he can make an impact with the new ball. He was transferred from Sunrisers Hyderabad with the expectation that he would do exactly that. The Hyderabad pitch did not suit him much as it did not offer a lot of seam movement. Here, conditions could be different, especially at Ekana Cricket Stadium, where the ground is bigger and the pitch might offer more assistance.”
On the other hand, Pathan said LSG captain Rishabh Pant must not bat below the number three position in IPL 2026. Pant had a mundane run in IPL 2025, scoring only 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.45.
He said, “At what number does Rishabh Pant bat? I feel he should bat at No. 3 and not below that. He has worked with Yuvraj Singh, so it will be interesting to see how much that helps him, especially in his off-side game. Last year, he scored around 250 runs, which was not a very good season. He was under a lot of pressure, although he did score a hundred in the last match. The captain will have to help himself as a batter. If that does not happen, it could be a problem.”
LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Delhi Capitals at Lucknow on Wednesday.
