LSG set to take on SRH [iplt20.com]
The matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League are coming thick and fast, and the race to the playoffs has heated up, with all 10 teams still in contention for a knockout berth.
Fair to say that the Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have already qualified, and only two spots remain. The 58th match of the IPL features the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) up against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.
Team Previews
Sunrisers Hyderabad
On paper, SRH were the deadliest team ever assembled, but fair to say that the former IPL champions have not lived up to the hype created before the tournament.
Too many chopping and changing has not helped their cause as the team languishes at the second last position, and have one foot out of the tournament, with 4 matches still to go.
The experiment to use Harry Brook at the top of the order has failed miserably and the team management have looked clueless on how to use their impact players as well. Even if SRH win their remaining four matches, their fate will still lie at the hands of the other teams.
Aiden Markram's form is a cause of worry, and the bowlers have failed to fire, which has resulted in a miserable IPL season for the Orange Army. The team showed their class in the last match against the Rajasthan Royals, when they chased down a tricky 215 on the last ball.
With the business end approaching, they'll be looking to win their remaining matches, starting from the next encounter against LSG.
Lucknow Super Giants
The curious case of Lucknow Super Giants. They boast a power-packed batting lineup, and yet have to play on slow and low pitches at the Ekana Stadium. When given a surface according to their own liking, the LSG batting lineup can create havoc, as witnessed against the Punjab Kings a few days ago.
KL Rahul's absence from the remaining matches has been a massive blow for the Lucknow franchise. In his absence, Krunal Pandya is leading the side, but the results are nowhere to be shown.
LSG have 11 points from 11 matches, and have to win the remaining three games, especially with the other teams moving upwards in the points tally.
A change in fortune is needed, and it has to start with the match against the Sunrisers.
Match Details
Date and Time: May 13, 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad
Live Streaming: Jio Cinema, Star Sports Network
Pitch Report
A good batting surface is on the cards. The average first innings score at this venue is 158, while the average second innings score is 146. With the day game at this venue, the wicket might slow down as the match progresses and the spinners might come into play as well. So, win the toss and bat first.
Predicted Playing XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Glenn Phillips, Abdul Samad, Marco Jansen, Vivrant Sharma, Mayank Markande, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan
Impact Player Substitutes
Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik, Akeal Hosein
Lucknow Super Giants
Quinton de Kock (wk), Kyle Mayers, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Swapnil Singh, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan
Impact Player Substitutes
Naveen-ul-Haq, Prerak Mankad, Deepak Hooda, Amit Mishra, Krishnappa Gowtham
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Keepers: Nicholas Pooran, Quinton de Kock, Glenn Phillips
Batters: Ayush Badoni, Abhishek Sharma
All-rounders: Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Aiden Markram
Bowlers: Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande
Captain: Aiden Markram
Vice-captain: Quinton de Kock
 "Anurag Dasgupta")