New Delhi, March 22 – Former Indian bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji has raised concerns about Lucknow Super Giants' heavy reliance on their overseas batsmen in the top order, suggesting that Indian talents – Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, and captain Rishabh Pant – can carry the team forward in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, which begins on March 28.
Following a disappointing seventh-place finish in the 2025 season, the Pant-led side will be hopeful of winning their first title. Meanwhile, Lucknow made minimal changes to its squad during the mini-auction. Apart from investing in young talents like Arjun Tendulkar, the team also bid on overseas players like Josh Inglis and Matthew Breetzke.
"The top order, especially with Marsh, Aiden Markram, and of course Pooran, is very strong. They have provided solid starts and outplayed the opposition on multiple occasions last season. The concerns were regarding the bowling, the captaincy, and the tactical aspects of the leadership group. They definitely rely heavily on their overseas trio of batsmen," Balaji told Jio Hotstar.
"You have players like Badoni, Abdul Samad, and Shahbaz Ahmed, all of whom can contribute. But the top order and Rishabh Pant will need to take on the responsibility. In terms of the overseas combination, I would normally pick three batsmen, so Marsh, Markram, and Pooran would be my first choices," he added.
According to the former CSK star, if Hasaranga is available, he would be the team's first choice overseas bowler, while Anrich Nortje could be in the playing XI in place of the Sri Lankan bowler for the time being.
"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," he said.
According to the 20-match schedule released by the BCCI, LSG will begin their campaign in IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals at their home ground, Ekana Stadium, on April 1.