New Delhi [India] April 2 (ANI): Akash Deep is scheduled to join the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) team and is expected to be ready for the match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday. Akash suffered a back injury during the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and has not played any games since December 2024, as per a report by ESPNcricinfo.

He has yet to make his debut for LSG and last participated in T20s during the 2024 IPL, when he played in one match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against MI at the Wankhede Stadium. In total, he has appeared in eight matches for RCB since 2022 and has taken seven wickets.

Akash's arrival will enhance LSG's bowling lineup, which has been affected by injuries. Mayank Yadav's recovery from a lumbar stress injury was complicated by a toe injury, and Mohsin Khan has been ruled out of IPL 2025 due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sustained last December.

LSG currently has Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan in its fast-bowling squad and included Prince Yadav in the first two matches. LSG has secured just one victory in its initial three matches in IPL 2025. Akash has taken 49 wickets in 42 T20 matches and was acquired by LSG in the mega-auction preceding this season for Rs 8 crore.

Opener and wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Shreyas Iyer's fifty stormed the Punjab Kings' side to register victory over Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.

With this win, the PBKS side moved to second place in the points table of the 18th edition of the cash-rich league, whereas the Rishabh Pant-led side slipped to sixth position following the loss. LSG will next play the Mumbai Indians on Friday, April 4, in the 16th match of the ongoing IPL at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Lucknow Super Giants squad: Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Manimaran Siddharth, Himmat Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Shamar Joseph, Arshin Kulkarni. (ANI)