Opting to field first, Sunrisers Hyderabad implemented two changes to their playing XI for the IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants, with star opener Travis Head absent due to a delayed arrival in India following a bout of Covid-19.
On the other hand, LSG handed a debut cap to promising New Zealand pacer Will O`Rourke, who stepped in for the injured Mayank Yadav.
Head landed in India on Monday morning but remained unavailable for selection as he continues to recover from the illness. The franchise has yet to confirm the timeline of his positive test, and his participation in SRH’s final two league matches remains uncertain.
Lucknow, teetering on the brink of elimination, is among three franchises still in contention for the last available playoff berth. On a concerning three-match losing streak, LSG must win both remaining fixtures to reach 16 points and rely on favourable results elsewhere to secure progression. Meanwhile, their opponents, last season’s runners-up, have already bowed out of the playoff race. SRH has failed to recapture last year’s consistency, enduring an erratic and unfulfilled campaign.
At the toss, SRH skipper Pat Cummins opted to bowl first, citing uncertainty around the pitch conditions. “I will have a bowl, you never know quite what to make of the wicket, so it`s better to chase. We haven`t played to our potential, so we are trying to hit our potential. We also had a few injuries. The team has been great, they have been honest that they haven`t been at their best. Travis Head misses out, and also Unadkat misses out for personal reasons.”
LSG captain Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, expressed a calm and focused mindset during the toss. “We don`t mind, we have got to do well. We are looking at one match at a time and not putting undue pressure on ourselves. I feel that as a team, we have regrouped well, and we are in a good space as a team. We have only one change, Will O`Rourke is making his debut.”
Squads
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga
Impact Subs: Mohammad Shami, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Singh Rathi, William O`Rourke
Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs: Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahamad, M Siddharth, Shardul Thakur, David Miller
(With PTI inputs)
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