Picking a combined LSG-PBKS playing 11 with impact sub ahead of IPL 2025 ft. Shreyas Iyer & Shardul Thakur 

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 13 of IPL 2025 on Tuesday (April 1) at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. LSG have secured a solitary victory in two appearances, while PBKS opened their campaign with a win.

In their last outing, the Super Giants restricted the Sunrisers Hyderabad to 190, with Shardul Thakur taking four wickets. Thereafter, Nicholas Pooran (70) and Mitchell Marsh (52) helped LSG to seal the chase in the 17th over.

On the other hand, PBKS posted a mammoth total of 243 against the Gujarat Titans in their first game, courtesy of Shreyas Iyer (97*). The bowlers did a decent job to pave the way for PBKS to win by 11 runs. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with two scalps for the side.

As both teams are coming off a win in their last game, they would look to continue the winning momentum. On that note, let's take a look at how the combined XI of LSG-PBKS shapes up before their clash.

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Top-order: Mitchell Marsh, Priyansh Arya, Nicholas Pooran (wk)

Playing as a pure batter, Mitchell Marsh has made a stellar start in IPL 2025. With aggressive intent, Marsh has effectively utilized the fielding restrictions and helped LSG get off to a brilliant start in both games. He has slammed 124 runs at a sensational strike rate of 185, with a top knock of 72 against the Delhi Capitals.

Priyansh Arya made his IPL debut in the last game against the Titans and made good use of the opportunity. The southpaw scored 47 off 23 balls and laid a strong platform for PBKS to unleash their natural game. Arya's inclusion at the top along with Marsh will affect the bowlers' rhythm due to the left-right combination.

Nicholas Pooran is the finest batter so far in the 2025 season of the cash-rich league. The Caribbean powerhouse has smashed 145 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 258.92, with the best knock of 75 against the Capitals. He will also serve as the wicketkeeper of this hypothetical side.

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Middle-order: Shreyas Iyer (c), David Miller, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen

PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer will also lead the LSG-PBKS combined XI. Iyer played a sublime knock in the first game, smashing 97* off 42 balls against the Titans. During the knock, he displayed confidence in his abilities despite wickets falling at the other end.

David Miller has garnered 40 runs in two games, and remained unbeaten in both innings. He scored 27* off 19 against the Capitals, while hitting two sixes. With impressive form in international cricket of late, Miller is likely to play a big knock in the coming games.

Shashank Singh continued his impressive form in the IPL, slamming 44* off 16 balls against the Titans. With a calm head and proficient skills to back it up, Shashank is a key player towards the end of an innings.

Marco Jansen will serve as an important player in this XI due to his all-round abilities. In the first game, he finished with figures of 1/44 off four overs, taking the important wicket of Jos Buttler. Jansen can be helpful with his lusty blows in the end as well.

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Lower-order: Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Digvesh Rathi

Shardul Thakur has stunned the cricket fraternity with his precise line-length and ability to swing the ball. He has scalped six wickets in two games, with best figures of 4/34 coming against the Sunrisers. Thakur dismissed dangerous batters like Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top.

Although Yuzvendra Chahal conceded 34 runs off his three overs against the Titans, he is too good to be ignored for this XI. The veteran spinner is the most successful bowler in IPL history with 205 scalps. He is expected to be among the wicket-takers in the coming games.

Arshdeep Singh made a good start to his IPL 2025 campaign against the Titans. The left-arm pacer finished with figures of 2/36 off four overs, taking the wickets of Sai Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford.

With his uncanny action, Digvesh Rathi has done well in the first two games of the season. He has picked three wickets at an economy of 8.87, with best figures of 2/31 against Capitals. The right-arm spinner dismissed Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam in the clash.

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Impact Sub: Abdul Samad

Abdul Samad was included in the Super Giants' playing XI against the Sunrisers. Coming in at No. 7, Samad smashed 22* off eight balls, with two fours and as many sixes to help the side chase 191. The right-hander will play as an Impact Player for this side due to his ability to clear the fence with ease.