Aiden Markram is set to miss the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) last couple of games of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 owing to personal reasons.
Reportedly, the South African international is set to miss the games against the Rajasthan Royals and the Punjab Kings as he has flown back to South Africa, as he and his wife, Nicole Daniella O’Connor, are expecting their first child.
Markram has had a patchy season for the Super Giants, plying his trade in the middle order despite finishing a fantastic 2025 as an opener. That season, he scored 445 runs at a strike rate of 148.83 at the top of the order, playing second fiddle in a dominant opening pairing alongside Mitchell Marsh. He scored five half-centuries in the season, including a highest score of 66, in what was his best IPL season to date.
2026 saw Markram drop down to the middle order, with his opening spot going to the returning Josh Inglis, who missed the first half of the season. He has scored 231 runs at a strike rate of 138.32, with a highest score of 45.
LSG have had a torrid season in 2026. With eight points in 12 games, they sit at the bottom of the table and find themselves already eliminated from the competition. Rishabh Pant’s men have boasted one of the stronger bowling attacks in 2026, but repeated failures with the bat have seen them unable to pick up results.
Despite this, they find themselves in an interesting position. Their final two games are against RR and PBKS, teams that are still in contention for the playoffs and are in need of wins. The Super Giants will be looking to finish their season on a high, but that would also mean playing spoilsport to not one but two teams that are in the hunt for the playoffs.
The Lucknow-based side will not be able to sign a replacement for Markram due to IPL rules stating that replacement players are not allowed to be signed after the 12th game a team plays. Fellow South African Matthew Breetzke could slot into the middle order, with the team also having the option of calling upon the services of all-rounder George Linde as the fourth overseas player.
