Aiden Markram is not playing LSG's final IPL 2025 match against RCB |courtesy - BCCI/IPL
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Aiden Markram has been key to LSG's success
- Markram is not playing LSG's last match against RCB
- Markram has scored five half-centuries in IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are without star opener Aiden Markram for their final Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking place on Tuesday (May 27) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Rishabh Pant revealed that LSG have made two changes to their playing XI after RCB's stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first. Markram has been replaced by countryman Matthew Breetzke while Digvesh Singh Rathi has come back after serving a one-match suspension and taken Akash Deep's place in the XI.
Why Is Aiden Markram Not Playing?
Markram has left India for international duty with South Africa set to start preparation for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia from June 11 at Lord's. The Proteas players that have been picked in the 15-man squad for the marquee clash were allowed to stay in the IPL till only May 26 by Cricket South Africa (CSA).
The Temba Bavuma-led squad will play a four-day first-class game against Zimbabwe to prepare for the fixture in Arundel, Sussex from June 3.
Markram is a big miss for LSG in their final appearance of the season. While they cannot qualify for the playoffs anymore, a victory for LSG will mean they finish sixth, while a defeat will sink them to seventh spot.
Morever, LSG have the chance to play party spoilers as a victory for RCB will seal a top two spot for them, meaning they get two chances of reaching the final.
As far as Markram is concerned, he has had the best IPL season of his career and formed a successful opening pair with Mitchell Marsh. The South African T20I captain has scored 445 runs in 13 innings at an average of 34.23 with five half-centuries.
LSG Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, William ORourke
LSG Impact Sub:Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshin Kulkarni, Yuvraj Chaudhary
RCB playing XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma
RCB Impact Sub: Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh.
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