When the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) play the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday, April 4 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, they will have a big boost as fast bowler Akash Deep has declared himself well and is ready to play. Since the Boxing Day Test match against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, Deep has not participated in any kind of cricket. He has been out this season due to a back issue. He joined the Super Giants' training just two days prior to the match vs MI.
Deep confirms fitness
"I feel the first match is very important for me. I have played one practice match, but in cricket when you get a two to three-month gap, no matter how much you practice, till you don't play a match, the confidence does not build,” Deep told the reporters.
ALSO READ: 'You didn’t pick me? Now I will show you....': World Cup winner decodes GT star Mohammed Siraj's IPL 2025 performance against RCB
Having last played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium last year, the 28-year-old is also expected to make his T20 comeback. Deep stated that he is confident enough to take the field even though he has been absent for a while.
"The jersey changes but the player remains the same and I am really enjoying my time with this franchise. I have not been with the team for long because of injury, but I feel quite confident,” Deep said.
"As an individual, you should believe in your process and focus on that process. The easier you keep your game, the easier it gets to perform. For this type of tournament, staying confident becomes very important for a player,” Deep added.
In the 2025 Indian Premier League, the Super Giants have experienced their share of highs and lows. They have won one of their last three games, putting them in sixth place in the table with two points and a net run rate of -0.150. With just 17 runs at an average of 5.67, their captain, Rishabh Pant, has not been playing well.