LSG Opt to Bowl First Against Table-Toppers GT in IPL 2025 Clash
In Match 26 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The Titans, led by Shubman Gill, currently sit atop the points table with four consecutive wins, while Rishabh Pant’s LSG are in fifth place and gaining momentum with two back-to-back victories.
Mitchell Marsh Misses Out
LSG faced an unexpected setback ahead of the match as in-form opener Mitchell Marsh, who has scored 265 runs in five games, was unavailable due to a family emergency. He has been replaced by Himmat Singh.
Speaking at the toss, skipper Rishabh Pant said,
“The wicket looks good. Happy to win the last two matches. As a team, we talk about the process, and the team is responding well now. Bowlers have done a really good job, and we have to give credit to them. Instead of Mitchell Marsh, Himmat Singh comes in. His daughter is not well.”
High-Profile Matchups
Saturday’s match promises intense individual contests. One of the most anticipated face-offs is between LSG’s Nicholas Pooran — the tournament’s top scorer with 288 runs at a stunning strike rate of 225 — and GT’s pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj, who has bagged 10 wickets in five games.
Gujarat Titans Make a Change
GT captain Shubman Gill also expressed a preference to bowl first but acknowledged the conditions wouldn’t change much. He announced one change, with Washington Sundar replacing Kulwant Khejroliya.
“I would have bowled first as well. I don’t think the wicket is going to change much. Everyone is contributing — that’s been one of the hallmarks for us. Washi comes in for Kulwant,” said Gill.
Playing XIs
Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Himmat Singh, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
Impact Subs: Ayush Badoni, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Shamar Joseph
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, R. Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Mahipal Lomror, Nishant Sindhu, Anuj Rawat, Jayant Yadav
