Mitchell Marsh has expressed confidence in the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) bowling attack despite the team being weakened by injuries. As they prepare to face the aggressive Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their upcoming IPL 2025 match, Marsh remains optimistic that the current bowling unit can deliver a strong performance.
LSG enters the match with several key bowlers unavailable. Mayank Yadav and Akash Deep are sidelined with lower-back injuries, while Avesh Khan has only recently returned after recovering from a knee issue. Additionally, Mohsin Khan was ruled out before the tournament and was replaced by Shardul Thakur. Marsh himself is playing solely as a batter due to a back injury.
Despite these setbacks, Marsh remains positive. “Yeah, we have a few guys out, no doubt, but I think we have assembled a really solid squad,” he said ahead of Thursday’s match in Hyderabad. “There is no doubt that in time we will welcome guys back into the team who have a bit of experience with the ball. But we certainly back our current bowlers to do the job. I don’t see it as a lack of depth.”
The upcoming clash is particularly significant given SRH’s dominant performance the last time the two teams met in Hyderabad. On that occasion, SRH chased down 166 runs in just 9.4 overs without losing a wicket. They have maintained their aggressive approach this season, recently posting a staggering 286 for 6 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
When asked about LSG’s strategy to counter SRH’s explosive batting, Marsh kept his response simple: “To score more runs than them.” He elaborated by acknowledging the aggressive intent of modern T20 cricket. “We know they’re going to come hard. There are not many T20 teams in the world now that don’t go hard from ball one and try to apply as much pressure as they can to a bowling team. So, we know we’re going to be under pressure at some point tomorrow night.”
Marsh emphasized the importance of focusing on their strengths rather than being overwhelmed by SRH’s batting power. “The most important thing for us as a team is to focus on our strengths and what we are coming here to do and play our brand of cricket,” he said. “There’s no doubt that Sunrisers have put a lot of teams under pressure, but that’s any team these days. It seems 230 is now the new par score at most grounds. We respect that they have got a phenomenal batting line-up with a lot of power, but we’re here to focus on our game and hopefully match with them.”
As LSG prepares for a high-scoring battle, all eyes will be on their depleted bowling attack to rise to the challenge against one of the most aggressive batting line-ups in the tournament.
