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If their performances are any indication, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals could form an iconic venue for a blockbuster Indian Premier League event on Sunday evening, adding to its allure.
Teams performance so far
IPL Debutant Lucknow Super Giants made a stellar start to their first season and are third on the points table after winning three out of their four matches. KL RahulThe U.S. team lost its first game to fellow Gujarat Titans, but have since registered extensive victories over a very formidable outfit comprising defending champions Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.
LSG team analysis
While Rahul has led the team in the matches played so far in the 15th edition of the lucrative league, the likes of Evin LewisDeepak Hooda and young Ayush Badoni shine with the bat, giving the team a lot of balance and stability.
As far as the bowling is concerned, the fast-spin duo of Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi have managed to hold their own against some of the most established names in T20 cricket.
After recovering quickly from the initial loss at the hands of Titans, LSG got a boost with the addition of the West Indies all-rounder. Jason Holder To add more depth to both bowling and batting.
After a six-wicket win over Capitals, LSG will gain a lot of confidence from it in their next outing at the Wankhede Stadium.
Experienced opener in Slaying DC quinton de kock Displayed stellar form with 80 runs off 52 balls, even in the form of the likes of Badoni and Kunal Pandya Sticking with a cameo to seal the game for LSG.
Krishnappa Gautam’s economical spell against DC’s formidable batting line-up has made his confidence a world good as the off-spinner draws closer to the game against Rajasthan Royals.
Rahul got out after the start and he would definitely look to improve on Sunday. However, it is easy to say when against a team like RR, who have emerged as one of the strongest teams in the competition so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a loss in their last outing.
RR’s team analysis
Before the reverse against RCB, RR won two matches beating Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians by 61 runs and 23 runs respectively. Arguably one of the best batsmen in the shortest format, joss butler Chasing his scintillating century against RCB with his scintillating 70 off 47 balls, the guns blazing.
Butler in form is a huge positive for RR, who can also see Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer For a quick run. And then there is skipper Sanju Samson, who can break any bowling attack by coming in the middle.
Fast bowler Navdeep Saini has conceded runs in the last few matches and it remains to be seen whether Riyan Parag, who has not contributed with the ball, continues to bat at number six.
Butler, Hetmyer and I are playing with three foreign players Trent BoultFourth-ranked RR has the option of drafting an all-rounder like Jimmy Neesham to give more balance to his XI.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (capt/wk), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra ChahaliFamous Krishna, Riyan Parag, Nathan Coulter-NileDevdutt Padikkal, Navdeep Saini, Karun Nair, Rassi van der Dussen, James Neesham, Anune Singh, Daryl Mitchell, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Garhwal, Kuldeep Yadav, Kuldeep Sen, Obed McCoy, Tejas Baroka, KC Cariappa.
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (captain and wicketkeeper), Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Manish PandeyDeepak Hooda, Kunal Pandya, Evin Lewis, Marcus StoinisJason Holder, Andrew Tye, Kyle Meyers, Avesh Khan, dusmantha chimeraRavi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, Manan Vohra, Krishnappa Gautam, Shahbaz Nadeem, Ankit Rajput, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Karan Sharma.