Except for Krunal Pandya, LSG’s bowling unit struggled to contain the opposition, appearing ineffective on the field.With Mark Wood and David Willey absent, the pace battery of LSG, comprising Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Yash Thakur, faces a daunting task of shouldering the bowling responsibilities.
In the quest for a spot in the upcoming T20 World Cup squad, spinner Ravi Bishnoi had a lackluster performance in the team’s tournament opener. Skipper Rahul, donning the dual role of wicketkeeper-batter with an eye on the T20 World Cup, displayed promise with a resilient knock of 58 in his comeback game and will be eager to build on that performance.
LSG will rely on Quinton de Kock’s aggressive batting at the top order, hoping for a return to form after missing out in the previous game. The team’s middle-order firepower will be entrusted to the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, and Krunal Pandya.
Furthermore, the success of LSG hinges on the performance of Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who emerged as the leading run-scorer for the team last season with 408 runs.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings hold a mixed record so far in the tournament, with one win and one loss under their belt. Led by Shikhar Dhawan, PBKS seek improved performance, particularly in the powerplay overs. The team will rely on Jonny Bairstow to provide impetus at the top order after his initial setbacks in the tournament.
Prabhsimran Singh, despite his potential showcased last season, has yet to capitalize on his opportunities. All-rounder Sam Curran has displayed batting prowess but needs to tighten his bowling. Vice-captain Jitesh Sharma aims to shine this season to bolster his chances for a World Cup selection.
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In the bowling department, Kagiso Rabada seeks support from Curran, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshal Patel. While left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar has impressed, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar needs to elevate his performance to strengthen PBKS’s bowling arsenal.
Squads:
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Shivam Mavi, Arshin Kulkarni, M Siddharth, Ashton Turner, David Willey, Mohd. Arshad Khan.
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.
Match starts: 7.30 pm IST.