In a surprising turn of events, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been dealt a blow as their in-form Australian batter Mitchell Marsh won’t be playing in the IPL 2025 match against Gujarat Titans (GT) at home on April 12. This decision raised a lot of eyebrows, and the reason was revealed at the coin toss by captain Rishabh Pant. It was disclosed that Marsh’s daughter is unwell, and hence, he is unavailable for the game. The management decided to bring in Himmat Singh as his replacement.
“We are going to bowl first. The wicket looks good, and we’re happy to have won the last two matches. As a team, we focus on the process, and the team is responding well. Our bowlers have done an excellent job, and they deserve credit for it. Instead of Mitchell Marsh, we have brought in Himmat Singh. His daughter is not well,” Pant said after winning the toss.
This is a significant change for LSG, as Marsh has been in sensational form, and his absence will surely be felt. Let’s take a closer look at his impact on the game so far.
Mitchell Marsh’s Impact
While Marsh has been unable to bowl due to a back injury, his batting has been nothing short of phenomenal. In just five innings, he has amassed 265 runs at an average of 53, including four half-centuries. His strike rate has been an impressive 180.27. In the previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Marsh played a crucial knock of 81 runs, helping his team towards a win.
Himmat Singh’s IPL Debut
Himmat Singh, who hails from Delhi, will make his IPL debut today. The 28-year-old has played 55 T20 matches, scoring 917 runs from 47 innings at an average of 28.65. He has also smashed five half-centuries in his T20 career. Himmat was initially picked for Rs 30 lakh in the IPL mega auction by Delhi Capitals (DC). He was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad earlier but didn’t get a chance to play in the IPL.
Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Himmat Singh, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
