Moody: LSG's middle-order woes cost IPL 2026 campaign
Moody: LSG's middle-order woes cost IPL 2026 campaign
LSG's big-name batting failed to fire in IPL 2026 as injuries and inconsistency hampered depth, says director Tom Moody after a tough season.
LSG arrived in IPL 2026 with a star-studded batting line-up that included Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, a group many felt could take them deep into the tournament. Yet their campaign ended prematurely after a 11th-game loss to Chennai Super Kings, leaving the team to grapple with a recurring problem: the middle order failed to build on promising starts. Josh Inglis provided a blistering opening punch in the game against CSK, but the momentum fizzled soon after, underscoring a pattern that had echoed throughout the season.
Tom Moody, LSG’s director of cricket, stressed that inconsistent batting, especially in the middle overs, was the deciding factor. He said the side struggled to convert strong starts into match-winning totals and paid a price for not finishing innings with the required heft. He also pointed to the impact of injuries and unavailable players on team balance, notably the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, whose pace and variety in the middle overs was missed in the backdrop of tougher fixtures. Hasaranga’s role, Moody noted, would have added depth at No. 8 and provided a crucial point of difference in the team’s puzzle.
The lack of stability in the middle order appeared even more telling when CSK’s Urvil Patel pressed home opportunities with clarity of intent, illustrating the kind of performance that LSG found hard to match. Patel’s innings against LSG was highlighted as a reminder of how a sharp, well-planned approach can tilt a game, especially when one portion of the batting lineup misfires. This contrast reflected the broader narrative of LSG’s season: power in the top order, but a gap in finishing with consistency.
Looking ahead, Moody suggested that addressing the middle-order fragility, managing injuries, and preserving balance in the lineup would be crucial if LSG hopes to rebound. The season’s learnings, he indicated, should steer them toward a more coherent plan for subsequent campaigns, one that ensures the initial momentum translates into sustained performance rather than sputtering moments.
