Rishabh Pant has opted to field first for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against Mumbai Indians (MI), with hopes the pitch conditions will improve for their innings. A notable inclusion for LSG is Mayank Yadav, making his inaugural appearance in the 2025 season after overcoming a back injury. He steps into the side for Shardul Thakur, who managed just one wicket in the previous three fixtures.
Mayank left a strong impression last season with his express pace, consistently clocking around 150 kph. His brief spell last year saw him claim seven wickets in four matches before an injury curtailed his involvement.
Mumbai Indians, buoyed by a streak of four successive victories, have shuffled their line-up. Corbin Bosch is set to make his debut, coming in for Mitchell Santner, who is sidelined with a finger niggle. Karn Sharma also replaces Vignesh Puthur, who bowled merely one over in MI’s last outing. Impact Player Jasprit Bumrah, who has been crucial in redefining MI’s bowling strategy, is expected to come in for the second innings, possibly swapping with Rohit Sharma.
The intense Mumbai heat could play a significant role, being the first day game at the venue this season. Pant noted the ball might hold up a bit during midday. Meanwhile, MI’s captain Hardik Pandya, though preferring to bowl first as well, expressed confidence in his team’s ability to handle the conditions, referring to their experience with similar weather growing up.
Mumbai Indians’ Line-up:
1. Ryan Rickelton (wk),
2. Rohit Sharma,
3. Will Jacks,
4. Suryakumar Yadav,
5. Tilak Varma,
6. Hardik Pandya (capt),
7. Naman Dhir,
8. Corbin Bosch,
9. Deepak Chahar,
10. Trent Boult,
11. Karn Sharma
Impact Players for MI: Jasprit Bumrah, Raj Bawa, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Satyanarayana Raju
Lucknow Super Giants’ XI:
1. Aiden Markram,
2. Mitchell Marsh,
3. Nicholas Pooran,
4. Rishabh Pant (capt & wk),
5. Ayush Badoni,
6. Abdul Samad,
7. Mayank Yadav,
8. Ravi Bishnoi,
9. Digvesh Rathi,
10. Avesh Khan,
11. Prince Yadav
Impact Players for LSG: David Miller, Yuvraj Choudhary, Shahbaz Ahmed, Himmat Singh, Akash Singh
Keep an eye on whether Mumbai’s impressive form continues in the face of this line-up adjustment.
