Spencer Johnson replaces Jamie Overton for CSK; LSG make wholesale changes
Spencer Johnson made his Chennai Super Kings debut as Ruturaj Gaikwad's side took on Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial IPL 2026 clash in Lucknow on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings handed Australian left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson his debut as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s side took on Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial IPL 2026 clash in Lucknow on Friday.
Johnson replaced the injured Jamie Overton in the CSK playing XI, while Gurjapneet Singh also returned to the side. There was no place for Akeal Hosein.
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The Australian quick is making his return to top-flight cricket after recovering from a back injury that had earlier ruled him out of the T20 World Cup and the Big Bash League. Johnson had not featured in competitive cricket since IPL 2025.
At the toss, LSG captain Rishabh Pant won and opted to bowl first on what he described as a “tacky” surface. Pant suggested there could be assistance for the bowlers early in the innings and admitted the franchise was now looking ahead to next season after being knocked out of playoff contention.
“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.”
LSG made a few changes to their combination, with Akash Singh getting his first game of the season against his former side. Abdul Samad and Mukul Choudhary also returned to the setup.
Gaikwad, meanwhile, said CSK were happy to bat first and noted there appeared to be some moisture in the surface. Chennai entered the contest fifth on the table with six wins from 11 matches and knew a victory would move them into the top four.
LSG, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the standings with just three wins from 11 games and now only had pride to play for, along with the opportunity to dent CSK’s playoff hopes.
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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