Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked Aiden Markram as one of the LSG batters in focus in their IPL 2025 clash against the Punjab Kings. He added that the opener didn’t fire in their first two games and might be dropped if he fails again.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Two things might force Lucknow to think slightly. One is Aiden Markram as an opener. This will be his third match. He hasn’t scored runs in two matches. Breetzke is sitting outside. This team might start thinking about him. So I feel this match will be very important for him (Markram). Score runs because opening is an important position.”

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“The second is their captain, Rishabh Pant. Many experts believed he should have opened, and I felt he should have batted at No. 3, but he is coming at No. 4. However, that is not the point. The point is that he hasn’t scored runs. You want to command that respect and need to score runs for that. The captain has to do well if you want to make your home a fortress,” he again shared.

However, Aakash Chopra also said that Zaheer Khan’s tactical acumen was evident in the LSG’s bowling performance in their first two games of IPL 2025 as well.

“Zaheer Khan’s imprint is already being seen on their bowling. Why am I saying that? The bowling is weak. They have Lord (Shardul) Thakur, Avesh Khan and Prince Yadav. They get Digvesh Rathi to bowl, and then they have Ravi Bishnoi. It’s not your best bowling attack. Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep and Mohsin Khan are all not there. They are playing with a second-string attack but are doing well. They come with a precise plan and follow it with a tunnel vision. They are playing cricket with that perspective. The thing I am liking a lot about this team is that they have a plan and they are following it to the T,” Aakash Chopra concluded.