IPL 2026: Here’s why LSG’s Digvesh Rathi is not playing against Punjab Kings in today’s match

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The 2026 Indian Premier League season continues to serve up tactical masterclasses and high-stakes drama as Punjab Kings (PBKS) play host to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 29th match of the tournament. The clash, held at the picturesque Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, features a fascinating battle between two captains with contrasting fortunes: Shreyas Iyer, leading an unbeaten PBKS juggernaut, and Rishabh Pant, looking to steer a stuttering LSG back into the playoff race.

Winning the toss, Pant opted to bowl first, citing the comfort of chasing and the high-scoring nature of the New Chandigarh track. However, the biggest talking point before the first ball was bowled was the absence of LSG’s rising spin sensation, Digvesh Rathi, from the starting lineup.

The exclusion of Rathi from the playing XI has raised eyebrows across the cricketing community. Rathi, who had been touted as LSG’s premier spin option following the departure of Ravi Bishnoi, finds himself on the bench for this critical encounter.

The decision appears to be a mix of tactical restructuring and recent form. While Rathi has shown flashes of brilliance this season, claiming three wickets in four matches, his last outing against RCB saw him go wicketless and prove slightly expensive. Captain Pant clarified at the toss that the team opted for Manimaran Siddharth to provide a different dimension to the attack. Siddharth’s left-arm orthodox spin is seen as a strategic counter to the Punjab Kings’ top order, which features explosive right-handers like Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh.

Also WATCH: Musheer Khan amusingly mimics Shreyas Iyer on the plane to Mullanpur ahead of PBKS vs LSG encounter

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI)

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Mohsin Khan

Impact substitutes: Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Himmat Singh

Punjab Kings (Playing XI)

Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact substitutes: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod

Also WATCH: Shreyas Iyer’s mind-boggling fielding brilliance gets rid of Hardik Pandya in MI vs PBKS IPL 2026 clash