Aiden Markram’s rough patch in IPL 2025 continued as he squandered another promising start in Lucknow Super Giants’ clash against Punjab Kings at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Despite a positive beginning, the South African batter once again failed to convert it into a substantial score.
Markram’s campaign began on a disappointing note, managing just 15 runs in LSG’s opener against Delhi Capitals, followed by a single run against his former team, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Against PBKS, he finally looked in decent touch, crossing the 20-run mark for the first time this season.
After Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer elected to bowl first, LSG suffered an early setback as the in-form Mitchell Marsh fell for a duck to Arshdeep Singh in the opening over. Markram, however, counterattacked, smashing Arshdeep for three boundaries in the third over before taking on Lockie Ferguson with a four and a six in the fourth.
WATCH – Arshdeep Singh Leaves Mitchell Marsh Clueless With A Fiery Opening Spell
But just as he seemed set for a big innings, Lockie Ferguson struck back. On the fifth ball of the same over, he delivered a full-length outswinger that Markram attempted to loft over mid-off. With minimal foot movement, he ended up inside-edging the ball onto his stumps, walking back for 28 off 18 balls.
— crictalk (@crictalk7) April 1, 2025
Markram’s dismissal left LSG in trouble, and things worsened when captain Rishabh Pant fell inside the powerplay. At the time of writing, LSG were struggling at 136/5 in the 17th over, with Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni battling to stabilize the innings.
At the toss, Shreyas Iyer explained that PBKS opted to bowl to assess the new wicket and factor in potential dew later in the game. He emphasized the need to play with freedom and adapt to conditions. Punjab made one change, bringing in Lockie Ferguson for Omarzai.
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Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, mentioned that LSG would have preferred to chase but was content with batting first. He stressed playing with intent and making the most of the home crowd’s support. Lucknow went in with an unchanged XI, hoping to put up a strong total.
