West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph, who single-handedly won a Test against Australia last month, was on Saturday roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming IPL season as replacement for England's Mark Wood.
Rishabh Pant introduced Rathi to Narine and told the Windies legend: 'Everyday he talks about you.'
His availability will be a massive boost for LSG's bowling department, with Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep doing most of the heavy lifting.
On Monday, LSG face Delhi Capitals in their season-opener in Visakhapatnam, the first of two DC's home matches to be played at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium this season.
With a mic in one hand and the captain's armband on the other, Rishabh Pant is ready to bring the entertainment to IPL 2025!
South Africa's young batting sensation became the most expensive batter in the history of SA20
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Supr Giants in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock hit fifties as LSG trounced CSK by eight wickets.
The Aussie all-rounder scored a blazing 117 off 64 balls. Not only was his innings decorated with 10 fours and 8 sixes, his two massive partnerships put LSG in the driver's seat.
'Happy Holi my friends. It is such a fun time to be in India to celebrate a very special day.'
Powell, Boult or Bishnoi? Vote for the best catch of the match...
Punjab Kings Co-Owner Preity Zinta and husband Gene Goodenough were in the stands at the Himachal Pradesh cricket association stadium as they relished the thumping win.
Senior batter Rohit Sharma missed out Mumbai Indians' match against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League in Lucknow on Friday after he was hit on the knee during a nets session, according to captain Hardik Pandya.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans in Lucknow on Sunday.
IMAGES from the IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
Sanjiv Goenka was visibly upset after Rishabh Pant's latest failure with the bat.
The packed Ekana stadium may not have witnessed massive sixes, but the home fans saw some brilliant bowling.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants, in Lucknow.
Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer on Sunday said their batting has let the team down in the last two IPL matches.
Goenka approached Rahul after the match to congratulate, only to receive what looked like a cold, disinterested handshake. No words, no eye contact. Just quiet closure and a telling payback.
LSG stormed to their first win of IPL 2025 in emphatic fashion, chasing down Sunrisers Hyderabad's 191 run target in just 16.1 overs on Thursday.
Some accused Pant of 'hiding' from the pressure, suggesting that the move reflected a lack of confidence in his batting. Others saw it as a worrying sign for LSG's leadership and strategy.
"He's been outstanding for Punjab": Anil Kumble hails Prabhsimran Singh after PBKS-LSG clash
Both franchises are owned by Sanjiv Goenka.
Shreyas Iyer's tactical call to promote Josh Inglis to No 3 to counter Lucknow Super Giants' tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav proved vital in Punjab Kings' victory.
Mayank Yadav, who made his comeback after a long injury lay-off, returned with figures of 2/40 in four overs as he bowled in the range of 140kmph.
In a video LSG tweeted, Rahul can be seen cutting the cake while his team-mates sing the birthday song.
Lucknow Super Giants mentor Zaheer Khan believes Rishabh Pant needs to find his form with the bat to help the team bounce back from a poor run of scores in the IPL.
According to the report, Lancashire issued a statement saying they had been looking for a partner, preferably from the IPL, and now that the deal has been secured they foresee an "exciting future" for the side.
The focus will be on K L Rahul's form and fitness when he returns after a quadriceps injury lay-off to lead Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2024 opener against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
Clearly furious, Pant turned and stormed back to the pavilion. The frustration was unmistakable-his face said it all.
The LSG skipper insisted it was unfair to single out individuals in a team sport.
Young Delhi Capitals opener Abishek Porel is focused on helping his side win its maiden Indian Premier League trophy this year, while also aspiring to represent India in the future.
LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen engaging in conversation with Captain Rishabh Pant and Head Coach Justin Langer after the game on Monday night.
Soon after, Avesh reunited with his family and was seen hugging his parents.
LSG, Punjab Super Kings will be aiming to bounce back after losing their previous match.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes Rishabh Pant will need to reassess his approach in T20 cricket after enduring a 'nightmare' IPL season.
Captain Rishabh Pant was fined Rs 24 lakh for LSG's slow over-rate against Mumbai Indians.
