Lucknow Super Giants have suffered three consecutive losses at their home ground in the IPL, with their last two losses coming against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Their overseas players have struggled to adapt to the pitches in Lucknow, with Kyle Mayers being the only player to score runs so far. The Indian batsmen haven’t made much of an impact either, with KL Rahul being the only exception.
Chennai Super Kings have a strong bowling attack that can take advantage of the sluggish pitches in Lucknow. While CSK has been successful in the middle overs, they need to improve their performance in the powerplay and the death. With Rahul out of the game due to a hip-flexor injury, CSK is likely to enter the game as favourites.
The match is set to take place on May 3 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Another low-scoring game is expected, with teams batting first winning three of the five matches played at the venue so far. However, thunderstorms have been forecast, which could lead to a curtailed game.
In the head-to-head record, the two teams are tied with one win each. LSG chased down a target of 211 in their first meeting in 2022, while CSK defended 217 at Chepauk this year, keeping LSG to 205.
Lucknow Super Giants might bring in Quinton de Kock in place of Naveen-ul-Haq to strengthen their batting. Avesh Khan could be brought back into the eleven in that case. LSG will miss the services of Jaydev Unadkat, who suffered an elbow injury during practice ahead of the game against RCB.
CSK might stick to their unchanged combination, but the availability of Ben Stokes is still unclear. Nicholas Pooran has struggled against spinners who turn the ball away from him, so Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana could be used to restrict him. CSK could also use spinners against de Kock if he plays, as the South African averages only 20.33 against away turners.
Probable XI:
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock (wk), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Amit Mishra. Impact sub – Yash Thakur.
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana. Impact sub – Akash Singh.
In conclusion, Lucknow Super Giants will have a tough task at hand when they take on the Chennai Super Kings, who will be more at home on the slower tracks of Lucknow. LSG has struggled to chase down low totals in their last two games at the Ekana Cricket Stadium and will need to put up a better performance with the bat. On the other hand, CSK will be entering the game as favourites with a strong batting lineup and a bowling attack that can take advantage of the sluggish wickets. The match promises to be an exciting encounter, especially with the weather forecast predicting thunderstorms during match time, which could lead to a curtailed game. It remains to be seen which team will come out on top, but cricket fans can expect another low-scoring game at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 3.
