IPL 2022 | PBKS vs LSG | Match 42 Preview, Predictions, Probable XI, CREX XI

The cricketing action will continue in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition on Friday as Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 42nd match of the season at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.

Punjab Kings made some prominent changes in their playing combination in the most recent encounter against Chennai Super Kings, which saw them reaping fruits as the Mayank Agarwal-led unit outplayed CSK by 11 runs. 

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who was benched despite giving promising performances in the first few games was called back against CSK and he too lived up to the team's expectations as the Sri Lankan played a prominent knock of 42 runs. Shikhar Dhawan also made an impact with the bat as he stacked an unbeaten 88-run knock to help Punjab Kings post a good total on the tacky wicket.  

The bowling department looked balanced with the inclusion of Rishi Dhawan. Arshdeep Singh, as always shined in the death overs and the onus will be on him again when they take on KL Rahul and Co on Friday.  

Punjab Kings have played 8 games so far, out of which they have won 4 and lost as many. With 8 points and a net run rate of -0.419, they are currently placed at the seventh spot on the points table. 

The IPL newcomers, Lucknow Super Giants, once again came out with all guns blazing as they outsmarted Mumbai Indians for the second time in the season. They successfully defended a total of 168 runs as the five-time champions saw an embarrassing 36-run defeat at the hands of LSG. 

KL Rahul has been stellar with the willow while their bowlers have been equally impressive as well. Dushmantha Chameera, Jason Holder and Ravi Bishnoi have been performing brilliantly. Avesh Khan, who missed the last game due to niggle, will be back in the team against Punjab Kings. 

So far, Lucknow has got 5 wins from 8 games and a decent net run rate of +0.334. They are currently occupying the fourth position in the IPL 2022 standings. With two crucial points up for grabs, both the teams will look to climb up in the points table. 

Match Details

Match: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Match 42

Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Date & Time: 29th April at 7:30 PM IST & Local Time

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar 

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is not very batting-friendly like the pitches in Mumbai. The maximum one can expect from this surface is anything close to 160 runs. However, it is expected to provide seamers with some assistance in the initial overs. The surface is likely to remain the same for this game and the team winning the toss might look to bowl.

Pitch Stats [Last 5 Matches]

Matches Played: 5

Matches Won Batting First: 2

Matches Won Bowling First: 3

Average 1st Inning Score: 165

Average 2nd Inning Score: 157

Key Matchups

KL Rahul vs Kagiso Rabada: 23/1 at 109 SR

Jonny Bairstow vs Ravi Bishnoi: 17/1 at 189 SR

Quinton de Kock vs Sandeep Sharma: 31/1 at 147 SR

Deepak Hooda vs Sandeep Sharma: 3/1 at 43 SR

Injury Update/Players' Availability

Punjab Kings: They put out their best playing combination against Chennai Super Kings in their previous game and are expected to play with the same line up against LSG. 

Lucknow Super Giants: Avesh Khan, who missed the last match due to a niggle, is expected to be back in the game against PBKS.

Squads 

Punjab Kings

Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Rishi Dhawan, Benny Howell, Baltej Singh, Writtick Chatterjee, Prerak Mankad, Ishan Porel, Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ansh Patel, Raj Bawa

Lucknow Super Giants

Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (c), Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Manan Vohra, Kyle Mayers, Evin Lewis, Ankit Rajpoot, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shahbaz Nadeem, Andrew Tye, Mohsin Khan, Karan Sharma, Mayank Yadav

Probable Playing XI

Punjab Kings

Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Kagiso Rabada, Rishi Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma. 

Lucknow Super Giants

KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Jason Holder, Marcus Stoinis, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan/Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi.

CREX XI Suggestion

Wicket-Keeper: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul

Batters: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

All-Rounders: Jason Holder, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya

Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Mohsin Khan

Captain: KL Rahul

Vice-Captain: Liam Livingstone