IPL 2026: Aiden Markram Exits LSG Squad Due to Personal Reasons

Just before the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026 on May 19, the team got bad news. Rishabh Pant’s LSG had a poor season, and now South African batter Aiden Markram left the squad due to personal reasons. As informed by ESPNcricinfo, the Protean international has flown to South Africa in the midst of the season, as he and his wife, Nicole Daniella O’Connor, are expecting their first child.

It is to be noted that the couple tied the knot in 2022 and announced pregnancy in December last year. With LSG left with two matches in IPL 2026, Aiden Markram will also miss their final game against Punjab Kings on May 23. LSG are already eliminated from the tournament, but their remaining matches against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings are very important.

Both RR and PBKS are still fighting for the last playoff spot, so these games could strongly affect the top-four race. The Lucknow-based franchise, who are yet to win an IPL title, were seen struggling this season despite the likes of some of the T20 greats in their squad, including Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis and others. While they were the first franchise to get eliminated from this edition, they completely failed to properly utilise their players, including Aiden Markram, who is known to be a match-winner in this format. Aiden Markram, who performed brilliantly as an opener last season, was used in different batting positions throughout IPL 2026. He batted at every spot from No. 1 to No. 5 for LSG this year.

This may have happened because Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran were struggling with form, forcing the team to keep changing the batting order to find the right combination. Having played him lower down the order in IPL 2026, Markram could not do justice to his value. In LSG’s 12 games, where he played 11 innings, he could only score 231 runs at an average of 25.67 and a strike rate of 138.32. Moreover, Nicholas Pooran, who had a fantabulous season last year, also could not emulate his performance, as he has scored only 216 runs across 12 innings while batting in the number 3 position lately.