Back injury limits Marsh to a batting role for LSG

New Delhi, Mar 13: Australia's T20I captain Mitchell Marsh has been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season for his new team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as a batter only. Despite missing the Champions Trophy due to a back injury, he is set to travel early next week.

Marsh was ruled out of the ODI tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy on January 31 due to "lower back pain and dysfunction," ending his domestic season. The issue, linked to a disc problem he had managed since Australia's limited-overs tour of the UK in September 2024, saw him undergo rest and specialist treatment in early February.

Having returned to batting in recent weeks, Marsh has now been cleared for the IPL, where he is expected to be an impact player at the top of the order for LSG. He was signed for Rs 3.40 crore at the IPL auction last November and will join the squad on March 18, reuniting with former Australia coach Justin Langer, who is in his second season as LSG’s head coach.

Marsh has not played since January 7, when he featured in a BBL match for the Perth Scorchers before sitting out the rest of the season. His last white-ball games came during Australia’s T20I and ODI tour of the UK in September.

Over the past three IPL seasons, he played for Delhi Capitals but struggled with injuries, including a hamstring issue last year that sidelined him after just four matches. He has previously represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiants, Pune Warriors, and Deccan Chargers.

Meanwhile, Marsh’s Australia teammates Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood—who also missed the Champions Trophy due to injuries—are expected to be fit for the IPL.

Cummins, who experienced an ankle flare-up after the Border-Gavaskar series, is set to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad again. Starc, who suffered an ankle niggle during the Sri Lanka Test series, will join Delhi Capitals this season after being bought for Rs 11.75 crore at the auction. Hazlewood, who attracted the highest price of any Australian at Rs 13.50 crore, will play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after missing last season due to side and calf injuries.

All of Australia’s other IPL-bound players have prioritised the tournament over the Sheffield Shield, despite five states still vying for a spot in the final. Unlike last year, when Matthew Wade chose to play for Tasmania in the Shield final and missed the start of Gujarat Titans’ IPL campaign, South Australian players Travis Head (Sunrisers), Jake Fraser-McGurk (Capitals), and Spencer Johnson (KKR) will head to India despite SA already qualifying for the Shield final, which begins on March 26.

Additionally, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Inglis, and Aaron Hardie will join Punjab Kings under head coach Ricky Ponting, skipping the final Shield round and the potential final for their respective states.