Here is why Shardul Thakur Isn’t Playing Today’s IPL 2025 Match 45 Against MI

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have made a notable change ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against Mumbai Indians. The match is played at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 27. At the toss, LSG captain Rishabh Pant confirmed that senior pacer Shardul Thakur would not feature in today’s playing XI.

The decision comes at a crucial point in the season as both LSG and MI are locked at five wins each in nine games. They are desperately fighting for playoff spots. With the pressure mounting, changes in team combinations were expected. But Thakur’s absence still raised eyebrows.

Rishabh Pant announces major change at the toss

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first in the afternoon encounter, Pant announced just one change to the Super Giants’ lineup — the exclusion of Shardul Thakur. However, he did not immediately elaborate on the reason behind the move, keeping fans guessing.

At the same time, Mumbai Indians made two adjustments to their side, bringing in Karn Sharma and Corbin Bosch in place of Mitchell Santner and Vignesh Puthur. The focus, however, remained firmly on LSG’s bowling reshuffle.

Dip in recent performances leads to Shardul’s omission

It has now been revealed that Shardul Thakur’s omission is primarily a tactical decision. Despite picking up 12 wickets in nine matches this season, the right-arm pacer has struggled in recent outings — managing just one wicket across his last three games. LSG management, looking to tighten their bowling attack in a crucial fixture, opted to bench him.

Replacing Shardul is young speedster Mayank Yadav, who has recovered from injury. Mayank, who clocks over 150 kmph consistently, has impressed this season with seven wickets in just four games at a superb economy rate of 6.98. LSG had shown their faith in him by retaining him for INR 11 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction, and now look to unleash his pace against MI’s strong batting lineup.

LSG banking on pace to bounce back

Lucknow are hoping that the inclusion of Mayank will add a new dimension to their bowling. Especially against an in-form MI team riding high on a four-match winning streak. With both teams level on points, every game is crucial in the race to the playoffs.

LSG will also take confidence from their strong record against MI. They have won six out of seven previous encounters, including a 12-run victory earlier this season.

Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, and Instagram