"I had pretty much written him off as a selection option" - LSG head coach Andy Flower on Mohsin Khan's injury
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Andy Flower has stated that young fast bowler Mohsin Khan's injury is a big blow ahead of the upcoming IPL 2023.
Mohsin could miss the majority of matches for LSG in their second IPL season as he recovers from a left shoulder injury. The UP pacer has not played any competitive cricket since the Super Giants' exit from the Eliminator game against Royal Challengers Bangalore last season.
A report from ESPNcricinfo suggested that Mohsin Khan underwent surgery to remove blood clots in his left shoulder and experienced discomfort in late 2022.
Mohsin was among the young bowlers who impressed with his skill and consistency last season. He played just nine matches for LSG and returned with 14 wickets at an average of 14.07 and an economy rate of 5.97.
Speaking about the setback during a media interaction on Thursday, LSG head coach Andy Flower said:
“It is a blow not having him (Mohsin Khan), there is no doubt about that. We are hoping that he might come good towards the end of the tournament."
Flower added:
"But, quite frankly, I had pretty much written him off as a selection option, and if he becomes fit at some stage during the tournament, I see that very much as a bonus. But I am certainly not expecting that."
"Not sure exactly what to expect from the pitch at the moment" - LSG coach Andy Flower
Lucknow Super Giants will play in front of their home crowd for the first time in IPL. The KL Rahul-led side will play their home matches at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
On January 29, India and New Zealand were involved in a low-scoring thriller T20I match played at the aforementioned venue. New Zealand managed just 99 runs after playing 20 overs in the first innings.
It wasn't a walk in the park for the hosts as the Black Caps stretched the game to the penultimate ball of the game on a red-soil pitch.
Speaking about the expectations from the Lucknow pitch in the new IPL season, Flower mentioned:
“Last international match… it wasn’t an ideal T20 pitch. But let the curators do their job, they know what they are doing. We are quite flexible about whatever conditions we play in.
"To be quite frank, we are not sure exactly what to expect from the pitch at the moment. We had a day off yesterday, we weren’t at the stadium, so we didn’t see how it’s panning out, the preparation of playing pitch, which is strip number four."
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LSG will play their first match in IPL 2023 against Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on Saturday (April 1). The Lucknow team qualified for the playoffs in their first season with nine wins out of 14 league matches but lost to RCB in the Eliminator.