LSG vs RR Match Preview
Lucknow Supergiants has been in excellent form throughout the season. They will aim on securing their place in the play-offs by defeating Rajasthan Royals on Sunday (LSG vs RR). Lucknow Super Giants are in second place with 16 points and would not like to lose one more match before the start of the play-offs.
Royals will also look to cement their claim of a place in the play-offs by making a comeback after a crushing eight-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals in the previous match. If LSG registers a win on Sunday, then their place in the play-offs will be assured. If the Royals team also registers a win, then it will take another step towards making it to the last four. Both teams will be nervous and will take on ground with high expectations.
For Lucknow, captain Rahul and Quinton de Kock will once again have to scores most of the runs. Down the order, Stoinis and Holder will give the finishing touch. Both of the openers returned to the pavilion cheaply against the Titans and would like to play a good innings against the Royals.
LSG vs RR Players To Watch For
Rahul is second most successful batsmen of the tournament with 459 runs in 12 matches and has hit two centuries and as many fifties so far. De Kock has so far scored 355 runs in 12 matches with the help of three half-centuries. Deepak Hooda is also in a good form and has so far scored 347 runs with the help of three half-centuries. This right-handed batsman also has the ability to play big shots.
Rajasthan Royals eyes will once again be on Jos Buttler, who has scored 625 runs in 12 matches with the help of three half-centuries and three centuries. Rest of the batting unit hasn’t found the rhythm and consistency.
Captain Sanju Samson has once again failed to perform to the best of his ability but his performance has not been so bad either. He has so far scored 327 runs in 12 matches with the help of two half-centuries. The good news for Royals is that Devdutt Padikkal (295 runs in 12 matches) has shown consistency in performance by scoring 31 and 48 runs in the last two matches but the team is still waiting for a bigger innings from him. Shimron Hetmyer (291 runs in 11 matches) played some good knocks and played a key role in the team’s six-wicket win against Punjab Kings, scoring an unbeaten 31 off 16 balls.
Ravichandran Ashwin was Royals’ top scorer in the last match against Delhi Capitals and the team will try to tap into his potential as a batsman. Royals will once again rely on leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is joint most successful bowler of the tournament with 23 wickets in 12 matches, to curb batsmen like Rahul and De Kock.
Chahal can get good support from Ashwin, Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna. Bowling, however, is the weak side of the Supergiants and bowlers like Avesh Khan and Jason Holder will have to do better to keep Buttler and other Royals batsmen under control. Both of them took wickets against the Titans while Mohsin Khan bowled economical, taking one wicket for 18 runs in four overs.
Lucknow Super Giants
Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Karan Sharma/Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan
Rajasthan Royals
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Rassie van der Dussen, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen