Lucknow, April 26 (IANS) Lucknow Super Giants batting all-rounder Mitchell Marsh admitted the side has struggled to find fluency at the top of the order in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, adding that rediscovering rhythm in the power-play overs with the bat will be key to turning their campaign around.

LSG have managed just two wins in seven games to be in ninth place in the points table and need a win over KKR at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium to get their campaign on track.

“Well, I’ve probably got a similar strike rate to what my dad used to have, so I’m trying to work on that. But we’ve had our challenges with the bat. We haven’t been able to get going in the power play.

“We haven’t had the loss of wickets, or just haven’t been able to find a rhythm to set up our innings. So we’re looking to make as much impact as we can tonight in those first six overs and hopefully get back to winning ways,” said Marsh in a pre-game chat with the broadcasters.

Asked if LSG head coach Justin Langer’s comparison of the pitch to the WACA in Perth is agreeable, Marsh said, “It’s probably not quite the WACA, but I think I mean, I’ve certainly enjoyed batting here. It is a big ground, but in terms of grounds around the world, it’s still reasonably small.

“So I think you get rewarded for really strong cricket shots. And it’s one of the grounds where you can get in. It can sometimes be a little bit hard to get in, but once you do get in, it’s a great place to bat. So hopefully we can pull off a few really strong partnerships tonight.”

LSG have used three opening combinations, with Marsh batting alongside Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, and Ayush Badoni. Quizzed on this musical chairs, Marsh said, “Look, those discussions are probably above my pay grade when it comes to this franchise, thankfully. I don’t mind who I open the batting with, to be honest. I think whoever it is, it’s all about us getting off to as good a start as possible and just having an impact.”

–IANS

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