Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Mayank Yadav – on paper, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have the most potent domestic pace bowling battery in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Gujarat Titans (GT) are the only ones who can give them the competition and have perhaps outperformed them.
LSG’s third pacer mistake
That’s partly because Mohsin hasn’t always been fit for selection. Of the 12 matches LSG has played, the left-arm fast bowler has featured in just 5 games. In his absence and sometimes even when he’s available, Lucknow haven’t aced their selection for the last pacer. Avesh and Mayank haven’t stepped up.
Since LSG paid INR 9.75 crore for Avesh, they’ve kept backing him. As for Mayank, despite an insistence that he’s fit, LSG haven’t really played him. Combined, they’ve played 10 matches and taken just 6 wickets. In fact, Mayank has yet to take a wicket.
LSG’s third pacer in Mohsin Khan’s absence
| Innings | Overs | Wickets | Best Figures | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avesh Khan | 7 | 24.4 | 6 | 2/23 | 45.50 | 11.06 | 24.66 |
| Mayank Yadav | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0/26 | – | 11.00 | – |
LSG’s selection and tactics have always been an issue. Promoting Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni to open, forcing Nicholas Pooran down the order, making Aiden Markram a middle-order batter, and dropping Badoni and Mukul Choudhary. These are errors made on the batting front.
However, despite Prince, Shami, and Mohsin’s excellent performance, they’ve erred when it comes to bowling as well. To keep playing Avesh when Akash Singh and Naman Tiwari were available doesn’t make sense. Both were like-for-like replacements for Mohsin as left-arm pacers who possess the ability to bowl with the new ball.
Akash Singh comes good on comeback
In the 12th match of the season, after they were already eliminated from IPL 2026, LSG finally tried someone else. And guess what? Akash claimed the first 3 wickets against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On an Ekana pitch with pace and bounce, he hurried Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, and Urvil Patel.
All three were trying to pull him, and the surface, along with Akash’s ability to cramp them, forced false shots out of them. Pant knew Akash’s best usage would be with the new ball and gave him 4 consecutive overs to end his spell by the end of the 8th over. He ended the powerplay with the figures of 16/2 and finished with 26/3.
Mayank wasn’t expensive either, with 26 runs in 4 overs, but once again failed to take a wicket. One has to remember that the surface was built for Mayank, who’s faster and taller. Yet, it was Akash who looked more threatening, especially compared to Mayank’s first two overs.
