&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026: Big blow for LSG as star batter set to miss PBKS clash")
Lucknow Super Giants have reportedly been dealt a major setback ahead of their IPL 2026 home clash against Punjab Kings, as star Australian batter Mitchell Marsh is set to miss the encounter. While the match is a dead rubber for LSG, who are already out of playoff contention, Punjab Kings must secure a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive.
As per reports from ESPNcricinfo, Marsh will not be available for the fixture, although the exact reason for his absence has not been disclosed. The 34-year-old has been one of the few positives for LSG in an otherwise disappointing campaign, as the franchise has again failed to make it to the playoffs.
Marsh has amassed 563 runs in 13 innings, including two hundreds and three fifties, making him LSG’s highest run-scorer this season. Captain Rishabh Pant is the franchise’s next-best batter with 286 runs from 12 innings, almost half of Marsh’s tally.
Now, with Aiden Markram and Matthew Breetzke also unavailable, LSG are expected to reshuffle their opening combination against Punjab Kings. The likely candidates to replace Marsh at the top include skipper Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran.
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Pant appears to be the leading option despite having opened in only six IPL innings, where he has scored 132 runs, including a highest score of 69. His most recent outing as an opener for LSG came against Delhi Capitals on 1 Apr, 2026, where he managed just seven runs. Prior to that, he scored 21 against Gujarat Titans in Lucknow during the 2025 season.
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Badoni is another alternative under consideration, although his record as an opener has been modest. In three innings at the top, he has scored only 39 runs and his last appearance in the role came against Rajasthan Royals, where he was dismissed for a duck, while he scored 35 against Punjab Kings on Apr 19.
Nicholas Pooran, meanwhile, has never opened the batting in the IPL, making his promotion a potentially bold move if LSG choose to go in that direction.
