LSG pick pacer from Registered Available Player Pool to replace injured Mohsin Khan; in-form Thakur looks primed to strike v DC tonight
LSG’s Shardul Thakur. Pic/Getty Images
It has hardly come as a surprise that Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur has replaced unfit Mohsin Khan in the Lucknow Super Giants’ squad on the eve of their opening match against Delhi Capitals in Vizag on Monday.
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Ever since LSG’s preparatory camp had started in Lucknow two weeks ago, it was well known that Thakur would be brought in as a replacement for one of the four unfit pace bowlers LSG were carrying in their ranks. The LSG management would have signed up the burly all-rounder much earlier, but they had to follow the procedure, where first, the NCA in Bangalore had to pronounce a pace bowler unfit and then, seek the IPL committee’s approval to sign up a replacement. All the suspense surrounding Thakur’s inclusion was brought to an end when the BCCI issued a media advisory on Sunday morning stating that “Thakur, an experienced all-rounder, has been signed from the Registered Available Player Pool [RAPP] at his reserve [base] price of Rs 2 crore.”
Will this opportunity give a fillip to Thakur’s career after he wasn’t retained by CSK and then went unsold at the mega auction? He has enough experience to make the most of this opportunity with 11 Test matches, 47 ODIs and 25 T20Is in international cricket and has 95 IPL games to his name over nine seasons for five franchises, having taken 94 wickets and scored 307 runs. Moreover, he has kept himself relevant by performing well in the recently concluded domestic season. He claimed 15 wickets in nine matches at an average of 24.53 during Mumbai’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, where they defeated Madhya Pradesh to bag the domestic T20 title. He also excelled in the Ranji Trophy, taking 35 wickets at an average of 22.06 in nine games, besides scoring 505 runs at an average of 42.08, with one century (119) against J&K.
Also Read: CSK vs MI, IPL 2025: Who is Vignesh Puthur? MI’s debutant spinner who outfoxed both Dube and Gaikwad
Only a couple of days ago, the NCA ruled Mohsin only 50% fit. Mohsin had been retained by LSG for R4 crore before the mega auction with the hope that the lanky left-arm seamer would be fit before the commencement of the new season. Mohsin has had fitness issues over the last couple of seasons and has played competitive cricket only intermittently. He has not delivered a single ball in the nets recently. However, LSG’s problems are far from over as the other three pace bowlers Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep and Avesh Khan are yet to get a clean chit as they are undergoing rehab at the NCA for a long time. The LSG think-tank is unsure who will regain fitness and who will be ruled out.
Luckily West Indies’ fast bowler Shamar Joseph has been going through the rigours impressively and looks set to spearhead the pace bowling attack, with Thakur set to give him much-needed support. There are a couple of quick bowlers Rajvardhan Hangargekar, a former India under-19 player, and Baroda’s Akash Singh, who have shown promise but have yet to get a look-in.
DC formidable ahead of opener
Rishabh Pant-led DC were spoilt for choices when it came to picking their captain as they also have Faf du Plessis apart from Rahul but the franchise opted for all-round Patel, whose career graph has been on a rise. Overall, the Capitals come across as a formidable unit for the rich mix of overseas and Indian players. Along with the vast experience of du Plessis in the batting line-up, DC also have Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc.
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