Lucknow Super Giants will be eager to make a strong statement in the TATA IPL 2026 season, bolstered by some key signings. Faf du Plessis and Lakshmipathy Balaji shared their thoughts on Rishabh Pant,
Digvesh Rathi, and the balance of the line-up, along with the ideal overseas combination.
Faf du Plessis reckoned that TATA IPL 2026 will be a very important season for LSG Captain Rishabh Pant:
“For me, Rishabh Pant is probably the player in the IPL, who is under the most pressure this season. Some guys flourish under the price tag pressure, while some don’t. I think last season was a really tough one for him. The team struggled, and he also struggled with runs in the way that he batted. So, there is all that pressure coming into the season, along with the expectations of what the team is going to do. With a batting-heavy team, how are they going to maximize their bowling? Because there is pressure on your Captain, scoring runs is your first job. So, if he is scoring runs as a Captain, it takes pressure off in the first instance. But then there is a second instance, which is the team performance, overall. And last year, both of those things had big red crosses against them.”
On Digvesh Rathi and overall strength of LSG’s spin attack:
“It was unbelievable the way Digvesh Rathi went about his business. In his first season, not a lot of batters knew what he was doing. I remember facing him for the first time and thinking, ‘Okay, I need to get used to this because it is a little bit different.’ In the second season, once again, how do batters line up against him now? He looks like he is doing well, although some of it might also be because of the social media stuff. But his performances look consistent. The challenge they have is that Hasaranga has been injured quite often over the last three years. And he is injured again. So, I expect him to not be ready for the first part of the IPL. I think they would have to go with Anrich Nortje to get that balance right. But then, what does their spin combination look like? Digvesh Rathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, and maybe some part-time of Markram.”
Lakshmipathy Balaji delved into LSG’s overseas combination:
“The top order, especially with Marsh, Aiden Markram, and of course Pooran, is stacked. They have given solid starts and out-batted the opposition on multiple occasions last season. The concerns were the bowling, the captaincy, and the tactical side of the leadership group. They definitely depend heavily on their overseas trio of batters. You have the likes of Badoni, Abdul Samad, and Shahbaz Ahmed, all of whom can chip in. But the top order and Rishabh Pant will have to do the heavy lifting. On the overseas combination, normally I would pick three batters, so the first-choice players, Marsh, Markram, and Pooran, walk in. Then, you need to strengthen the bowling attack with one overseas fast bowler, as we are still unsure whether Hasaranga will be fully fit or not. If not, Anrich Nortje would be my choice as the fourth overseas player.”
