IPL 2023 PREVIEW: LSG v SRH

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 10th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday, April 7 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The Super Giants started off their tournament campaign with a bang, securing a convincing 50-run win over Delhi Capitals in their opening match but their momentum was short-lived as they lost the very next match to Chennai Super Kings by 12 runs.

Mark Wood once again made a significant impact with the ball by taking three crucial wickets against Chennai Super Kings. Young Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi also had a sensational outing, picking up two wickets with his mystic deliveries. The Caribbean all-rounder Kyle Mayers also made his presence felt, playing a destructive knock of 53 runs in just 22 balls.

However, the Super Giants management is facing a selection conundrum following the arrival of Quinton de Kock. With opener Kyle Mayers in exceptional form, having scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first two games, there are speculations that they may drop Marcus Stoinis to make room for de Kock at the top of the order.

On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad, considered one of the most well-balanced teams in the tournament, got off to a disastrous start, suffering a heavy 72-run defeat in their opening game against Rajasthan Royals.

Their batting line-up crumbled under pressure in their pursuit of a mammoth 204-run target, with only Abdul Samad, their impact player, putting up a fight and managing to breach the 30-run mark. However, the arrival of their captain Aiden Markram could be a game-changer for the Men in Orange and help them bounce back in the tournament.

Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants have been strengthened by the inclusion of Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram, making the upcoming match a closely fought battle on paper. However, playing in their home conditions, Lucknow is likely to have an edge over their opponents. All in all, a nail-biting T20 encounter awaits us, with two teams packed with star players.

Probable Playing XIs

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (capt.), Quinton de Kock (wk), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowatham, Mark Wood, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Heinrich Klaasen(wk), Mayank Agarwal, Harry Brook, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram(C), Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik

Pitch Report

This is only the second match of the IPL to be played at this venue, and based on the previous match, it appears that the batters will have a good time here while the bowlers will find conditions more favourable in the second innings.

Additionally, history suggests that the team batting first at this venue has a better chance of success, so the toss winner will likely opt to bat first.

Pitch Stats

Total matches: 9

Matches won batting first: 5

Matches won bowling first: 4

Average 1st Inns scores: 151

Average 2nd Inns scores: 126

Highest total recorded: 199/2 (20 Ov) by IND vs SL

Highest score chased: 159/4 (20 Ov) by RSAW vs INDW

Lowest score defended: 156/8 (20 Ov) by AFG vs WI

Head-to-Head

The last time the Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad faced each other in the IPL, the former emerged victorious by 12 runs, courtesy a breathtaking spell by Avesh Khan.

Top Fantasy Picks

Kyle Mayers:

The Caribbean all-rounder is the man of the moment in the tournament. He's in scintillating form, having scored two consecutive half-centuries in the first two matches of the cash-rich league – a feat that no other player has achieved. He is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, with 126 runs from just two matches, at a sensational strike rate of 210.

KL Rahul:

The captain of the Super Giants hasn't had the best of starts to this IPL season, scoring just 28 runs in two matches. However, given he's a seasoned campaigner in the cash-rich league, there's no doubt he'll be looking to bounce back stronger in the tournament. Coming to numbers, he has a total of 393 runs against SRH so far and he would be looking to add more to his tally.

Rahul Tripathi:

Like his namesake in the opposition, Rahul Tripathi hasn't had the best of starts to his IPL campaign, getting out for a duck in his first match. However, he's a seasoned campaigner who has a lot of experience under his belt and we can expect him to bounce back in this match. About numbers, he has scored 1798 runs in just 75 innings at a strike rate of 140.58.

Mark Wood:

With a total of eight wickets in just two matches, Mark Wood has been a standout performer for the Super Giants in the tournament so far. He made his presence felt early on by taking a five-wicket haul in the opening game against Delhi Capitals, and continued his form by picking up three wickets against Chennai Super Kings. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

Ravi Bishnoi:

He made the ball talk in the opening game against Delhi Capitals, picking up three wickets, and followed it up with another stellar performance against Chennai Super Kings, where he picked up two wickets and kept the run rate in check. With the favourable playing conditions at Ekana, he could be a key player in the upcoming match.

Fantasy Team Suggestion