IPL 2025: Who is Lockie Ferguson replacing in LSG vs PBKS game tonight?

The 13th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to witness hosts Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) take on Punjab Kings (PBKS). The game will feature the top two costliest players in the history of the league leading their respective sides. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, who set the auction table on fire, will want to outdo each other in this huge battle at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. 

New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson is set to make his PBKS debut as he replaces Azmatullah Omarzai in the playing XI. Omarzai scored just 16 runs with the bat against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and was hit for 29 runs from his two overs. Lockie Ferguson was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last season. The 33-year-old played seven games and managed to pick just nine wickets in the IPL 2024 season. 

It was Shreyas Iyer who won the toss for his side and chose to bowl first. Punjab had started the season with a bang as they beat Gujarat Titans in their first game. Iyer had scored 97, not out to help set the tone for his side. Lucknow, on the other hand, began the season with a loss to Delhi before beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in their next game. 

What is Lockie Ferguson’s IPL record?

Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson has played 46 games in the IPL and picked 46 wickets with a best of 4/28. The 33-year-old holds the record for the second fastest ball bowled in the tournament. Ferguson delivered the ball at 157.3 KPH in the 2022 finals during his stint with the Gujarat Titans against the Rajasthan Royals, which saw GT win the game and take the title. 

Speaking at the toss, Shreyas Iyer said. “We are going to bowl first. It's a new ground, a new pitch; dew could be a factor as well and this being a red-soil pitch, we want to chase. The players have the freedom to express themselves. You have to play the situation; the important goal is to win. We try to keep things simple. We don't know how the pitch is going to play but we have to adjust quickly.”

LSG skipper Rishabh Pant and his side went in unchanged after their win over SRH last week. Pant said, “We wanted to bowl first but there are things that are not under our control so happy to bat first. There are a lot of people who have come to support us; we are definitely going to give our best." In the four games that the two sides have played against each other, LSG have won thrice with PBKS winning one encounter.