India, March 29 -- South African opener Aiden Markram was at his best even in his first season with the Lucknow Super Giants in 2025 as his 445 runs, including five fifties, at a strike rate of 148.83, remained the highlights of a strong batting performance by LSG's top order even though the team finished seventh for the second consecutive season.

LSG's new season in this IPL, which kicks off with the match against the Delhi Capitals at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium here on Wednesday, will be a fresh start for Markram, who looks hungry for a new beginning after a gut-wrenching T20 World Cup semi-final exit in the recent past.

As one of the Proteas' standout performers in that tournament, Markram-who slammed 288 runs at a strike...