New Delhi [India], March 25 (ANI): Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Global Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, shared insights into the team's preparations for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, with a particular emphasis on strengthening their domestic pace-bowling attack.

Speaking on JioStar, Moody explained the efforts made by the support staff to address weaknesses in the squad leading into the 2026 season.

'Having spoken to everyone from Goenka down through the system here at Lucknow, it's very clear that the preparation leading into 2025 wasn't as good as it could have been,' Moody said, acknowledging the fitness challenges faced by several players in the previous season.

Moody emphasised the improvements made, notably in strengthening the fast-bowling unit, 'The squad and balance we have now include a strong, high-quality domestic fast-bowling attack, which we've added to smartly in the off-season through a trade for Mohammed Shami, who can lead that group and show the way forward.'

Moody further revealed that the team had made significant changes to improve their fitness and medical support systems, with the aim of providing better preparation going into IPL 2026. 'At this point, all our fast bowlers are giving us a selection headache, which is exactly what you want going into the first game,' he stated.

When asked about the pressure of winning a trophy for LSG, Moody expressed his seasoned approach to the expectations placed on the team.

'I've been privileged to be involved in professional cricket for a long time, and that is both the charm and the challenge of the game, embracing pressure. The quiet confidence we spoke about earlier comes from believing that the squad is ready for that. You can't have that without feeling undaunted by what lies ahead. They're ready for it,' he said.

On March 11, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first phase of the 2026 IPL edition, which is to be played from March 28 to April 12.

The Pant-led LSG will begin their IPL 2026 season campaign against Delhi Capitals on April 1, followed by their matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5, Kolkata Knight Riders on April 9 and Gujarat Titans on April 12 in the first phase, which was announced by BCCI.

Defending champions RCB will play the opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Lucknow Super Giants squad for IPL 2026:

Rishabh Pant(captain), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan. (ANI)