World
India
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) received a major boost as pacer Avesh Khan returned to their playing XI for their second match of IPL 2025 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl first, making a strategic change by bringing in Avesh for spinner Shahbaz Ahmed.
Pant’s decision to bowl first was met with roaring cheers from the Hyderabad crowd, eager to see their explosive batting lineup in action. The SRH top order, featuring the hard-hitting duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, has been a dominant force in recent seasons, twice registering some of the highest first-innings totals in IPL history.
Despite the challenge, Pant remained confident in LSG’s ability to chase any total set by SRH. “We will bowl first,” Pant told Cricbuzz. “The plan is to get them out early and chase the target. The team combination suits bowling first. We have the batting to chase down any score. The only change is Avesh coming in for Shahbaz. We are ready to take on any total.”
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI:
Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Abdul Samad, David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav
Impact Players: Shahbaz Ahmed, Manimaran Siddharth, Mitchell Marsh, Himmat Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh
Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins (C), Simarjeet Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami
Impact Players: Sachin Baby, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Adam Zampa, Wiaan Mulder
On the other side, SRH captain Pat Cummins welcomed the chance to bat first, showing no concerns about the decision. “It doesn’t change our approach; we always play positive cricket. Even if we go for 10 or 11 runs an over, that can be match-winning some days. We aim to win as a team and perform well as a bowling unit,” Cummins said.
With SRH’s high-scoring prowess and LSG’s strategic bowling change, speculations have already begun about the possibility of the first-ever 300-run total in IPL history. LSG will rely on Avesh, who has previously taken a four-wicket haul against SRH, to contain the damage and give them a fighting chance in the chase.
ALSO READ: Who Is Kavya Maran? Meet The Owner Of IPL 2025’s Most Destructive Team, SRH
