TACTICAL PREVIEW
Follow UsThe good news for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is that the turnaround time from their six-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals (DC) and their next game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is short. The bad news for them, though, aside from the fact that it will be a day game played under scorching hot conditions, is that, like DC, KKR also has a chance to get their first win on the board against KL Rahul’s side.
The loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could be seen as a minor blip for KKR, who have otherwise been at their brutal best this season. The same can be said about LSG, who lost their first match defending a 160-plus total in 14 matches.
With not much separating the teams from 2-5, a win for either side is a must, given how cluttered the points table is. The last time these two sides met, Rinku Singh nearly took KKR home with 21 required off the final over, but LSG hung on to a one-run win in the end. Those watching will certainly not complain if this match also went down the wire.
KKR vs LSG Head-to-Head
Overall - Games 3 | KKR 0 | LSG 3
In Kolkata – KKR 0 | LSG 1
Venue and Condition Details
In the IPL since 2023 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, the pacers have a slight advantage given that they have picked up 51% of the wickets. But they have also conceded runs at 10.3 (Ave 33.1) an over, which is significantly higher when pitted against the spinners (Average 27.5) - 8.5.
It promises to be another high-scoring encounter, given that the first innings total here has been 195 in the IPL since 2023, and the team winning the toss have opted to bowl in eight out of the nine matches. However, the team batting first have been on the right side of the results on six out of nine occasions.
In the only match here this season so far, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) nearly chased down a 209-run target, but the hosts held their nerves and hung on to a four-run victory.
Weather forecast
This is the first day match in Kolkata, and the temperature is expected to be 36°C, with no chance of rain. However, it is likely to dip to 33°C towards the end of the match, but the humidity will be around 39-47%.
Things to watch out for
The Sunil Narine threat
KKR have played high-risk cricket this season, and it shows, given that they have scored at 10.5 an over but have lost a wicket every 17.7 deliveries – the second lowest in the tournament, all the while scoring at an average of 30.9. On the forefront of this has been Sunil Narine, who has given KKR a flying start in most games. Narine has a strike rate of 189, which is the second-highest among openers this season (Min: 50 runs), and that goes up to 202 in the powerplay. Moreover, Narine has hit 11 sixes in the first six overs, which is the most by any batter.
He has made the best use of the fielding restrictions, with over one-fifth of his runs coming from the long-off region.
Narine has been deadly against both pace and spin this season, scoring at 188 and 200 against them respectively.
Last chance for Padikkal?
0,9, 6,7, 3—these are Devdutt Padikkal’s scores in the IPL this season. An average of five, strike rate of 76, and not having registered a double-digit score are not something you associate with a top-order batter, but it is what it is. Since his move to LSG from Rajasthan Royals (RR), the southpaw has arguably been the worst batter this season, and if he does not turn things around, it will not be too long before he is made to warm the bench.
He has been troubled by left-arm pacers having been dismissed thrice this season already. In fact, they have had the wood over Padikkal in the last two seasons, having gotten rid of him five times (Ave 8, SR 91) in the IPL since 2023. He could come up against Mitchell Starc, who has not had the best of tournaments but presents an opportunity for both of them to redeem themselves.
Can Yash Thakur step up again?
Yash Thakur has stepped up to the plate in Mayank Yadav’s absence, having picked up six wickets in the last two matches, including a five-wicket haul against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Lucknow. His performance has further enhanced LSG as one of the best pace-bowling units this season, with an economy rate of 9.1 (third best) and strike rate of 13.9 (Joint best).
He has been effective against both left and right-handed batters this season.
Probable XI:
While KKR might go in with the same XI, LSG’s composition will depend on whether or not Mayank Yadav is fit. KL Rahul had indicated that it would be another couple of matches before he is considered.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy; Manish Pandey/Suyash Sharma (IP)
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur, Arshad Khan; M Siddharth/Deepak Hooda (IP)
TV and streaming details
You can watch the game live from 3:30 PM on Star Sports (TV) and Jio Cinema (Streaming).
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