 "Akash Deep could play for Lucknow Super Giants against Mumbai Indians. Image: Reuters")
While Mumbai Indians (MI) continue to wait for Jasprit Bumrah’s arrival, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have received a massive boost as pacer Akash Deep joined the squad on Wednesday, ahead of their match against the former. LSG take on MI in Lucknow in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday (4 April).
Both Bumrah and Akash Deep had been at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, recovering from their respective injuries. Bumrah and Akash both suffered back injuries during the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Akash has not played any cricket since December 2024.
Akash Deep’s return boosts LSG’s pace department
However, his return is a massive boost for LSG who are currently struggling with a lot of injuries to multiple pacers. Mayank Yadav is still in the recovery phase after suffering a toe injury recently while Mohsin Khan is out of IPL 2025 due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that he suffered in December 2024.
Currently, LSG have Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan as Indian pacers in their ranks.
The team has been struggling so far in IPL 2025, losing two out of three matches .
There’s still no confirmation whether Akash will play on Friday but at least he will be available.
Akash’s last IPL game was in the 2024 season when he played once for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, against Mumbai Indians. He played eight matches for RCB since 2022, taking seven wickets.
Overall, Akash has taken 49 wickets in 42 T20s. LSG bought him at the mega auction for Rs 8 crore.