Chennai Super Kings handed Australian left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson his debut for their crucial IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Friday.
Johnson came into the CSK XI in place of the injured Jamie Overton, while Gurjapneet Singh also returned to the side. Akeal Hosein was left out. The Australian speedster returned to competitive cricket after recovering from a back injury that had sidelined him since IPL 2025 and forced him out of both the T20 World Cup and the Big Bash League.
At the toss, LSG captain Rishabh Pant elected to bowl first, citing early assistance for bowlers on a “tacky” surface. Pant admitted the already-eliminated franchise was now focused on experimenting and building for next season. “We are going to bowl first. The wicket looks a bit tacky,” Pant said. “We are out of the tournament, so it’s about planning for the future and giving opportunities.”
Lucknow made several changes to their lineup, with Akash Singh making his first appearance of the season against his former side. Abdul Samad and Mukul Choudhary also returned to the playing XI.
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said his side was happy to bat first despite visible moisture on the pitch. Chennai started the contest fifth on the table with six wins from 11 matches and knew a victory would lift them into the top four.
LSG, meanwhile, remained rooted to the bottom of the standings with only three wins from 11 games and were left playing for pride while hoping to dent Chennai’s playoff ambitions.
Chennai Super Kings XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary.
Lucknow Super Giants XI: Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav.
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