Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Akash Deep has confirmed he is fully fit and prepared to return to action after spending the past three months recovering from a back injury.
The fast bowler, who featured in two Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, sustained the injury ahead of the fifth Test in Sydney. He finally rejoined the LSG squad on April 2, just two days before their clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Lucknow.
“I believe the first match is always crucial,” Akash said on the eve of the game. “I’ve played one practice match, but in cricket, when you have a gap of two to three months, no matter how much you train, match confidence only builds once you actually play.”
A Fresh Start with LSG
Akash last played a T20 match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2024, which remains his only T20 appearance in nearly 18 months. Before that, he had featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in late 2023. Having been part of RCB since IPL 2022, he was released ahead of the 2025 auction, where LSG secured his services for INR 8 crore.
“The jersey may change, but the player remains the same, and I’m really enjoying my time with this franchise,” he said. “Though I haven’t been with the team for long due to injury, I feel confident.
“As a player, believing in your process is key. The simpler you keep your game, the easier it becomes to perform. Confidence is crucial in a tournament like the IPL.”
LSG’s Season So Far and Injury Woes
LSG, under new captain Rishabh Pant, have had an inconsistent start to IPL 2025. They suffered a narrow one-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) in their opener, bounced back with a comfortable win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), but then lost at home to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by eight wickets. Currently, they sit in the lower half of the points table.
Injuries have plagued LSG’s fast-bowling unit. Mohsin Khan was ruled out before the tournament began, while Mayank Yadav’s recovery from a lumbar stress injury was further complicated by a toe issue. Despite these setbacks, the pace attack, featuring Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, and young Prince Yadav, has performed admirably.
“In cricket, performance is not always in our control as a team,” Akash noted. “We’ve only played three matches, and the IPL is a long tournament. Despite missing four fast bowlers, our performance in the first game was impressive. There are plenty of positives, and the best is yet to come.”
Learning from Zaheer Khan
Akash also expressed excitement about working with LSG mentor Zaheer Khan.
“I feel fortunate to be playing under such an experienced coach for two months,” he said. “Zaheer has vast experience and will quickly identify areas where I need to improve. As a fast bowler, major changes aren’t always needed, but fine-tuning the technical details can make a big difference. He can help me with that.”
