India’s all-rounder who went unsold in the IPL mega auction, Shardul Thakur, is about to sign with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the IPL 2025 season. Thakur will replace the injured Mohsin Khan in the squad led by Rishabh Pant. Although the official announcement hasn’t been made, Thakur has been informed and will travel with the team to Visakhapatnam for their first match against the Delhi Capitals, as reported by the Times of India. Earlier, there were speculations that he’d be replacing Mayank Yadav, but most likely he’d take Mohsin Khan’s place.
Injuries force changes in LSG squad
Mohsin Khan is out due to an ACL injury and a calf strain, impacting his availability. With several seamers still recovering at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Center of Excellence, LSG had to find a replacement. Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, and Mayank Yadav are part of LSG’s pace attack, but they haven’t joined the team yet because of ongoing recovery.
Challenges with pacers’ fitness
Avesh Khan is recovering from a knee injury, while Mayank Yadav has faced multiple physical setbacks and hasn’t played since last October. Even if Mayank gets cleared to play, his fitness remains a concern. LSG’s strategy is to adopt a flexible approach to manage player injuries throughout the season.
Shardul Thakur’s role in the team
In this dynamic situation, Shardul Thakur becomes the leading bowler for LSG, given his experience. The team has only one overseas pacer, Shamar Joseph, along with young talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Prince Yadav. While the spin department seems stable, the fast bowling line-up faces challenges as the season begins.
Shardul Thakur in IPL
Shardul made his debut with the Punjab Kings in 2015. He has played 95 matches so far since then, scoring 307 runs and scalping 94 wickets. Since 2017, he has played all the seasons in IPL. Last year, Chennai Super Kings released him ahead of mega auction where he went unsold.
