IPL 2026: Pant and Team Gear Up in LSG's Practice Match
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Lucknow, March 19 (NationPress) The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ramped up their preparations for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by engaging in a high-scoring practice match against the UP T20 League team Kashi Rudras at the Sports Galaxy Cricket Academy on Thursday.
Captain Rishabh Pant took on significant batting responsibilities for both the Super Giants and the rival team, dubbed ‘KR XI’, as he aimed to refine his form ahead of the season. Batting first, LSG amassed an impressive total, bolstered by explosive performances from Pant, Arshin Kulkarni, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
The bowling lineup for Kashi Rudras included LSG's own pacers Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, and Mohsin Khan, who challenged the Super Giants' batsmen with a mix of precise swings and sharp bouncers.
In the latter part of the warm-up, Kashi Rudras exhibited similar prowess. Pant, staying at the crease alongside teammates Mukul Chaudhary, Shubham, and Abhishek, frequently hit the ball over the boundary, thrilling the local crowd.
On the bowling side for LSG, young pacer Mayank Yadav and wrist-spinner Digvesh Rathi emerged as key players, complemented by economical spells from Shahbaz and Arjun Tendulkar.
The match attracted a large audience of young cricketers from the local academy, who came to support their team. After the game, several LSG players engaged with fans, signing autographs and participating in photo opportunities.
LSG has also announced that their domestic players have now fully gathered in Lucknow. The squad is expected to reach full capacity this weekend, with international players arriving from Friday onward.
LSG is set to kick off their IPL 2026 season against the Delhi Capitals on April 1 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The franchise had previously held a pre-season training camp at the Coaching Beyond academy ground in Chennai.