Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to compete in match 11 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024), scheduled for Saturday, March 30, at the renowned Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Left-hand batters unite 🤝 pic.twitter.com/n97NO8i4jc
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 29, 2024
LSG has participated in only one match in the league thus far. They traveled to Jaipur to confront Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium last week. In that afternoon fixture, the Royals won the toss and elected to bat first. Sanju Samson’s impressive half-century helped the hosts achieve a total of 193/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
In response, the Super Giants lost three wickets within the first four overs of their innings. By the eighth over, Deepak Hooda was dismissed, leaving the Super Giants struggling at 60/4. However, a partnership of 85 runs off 52 balls between captain KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran revived their chase. Despite their efforts, the Royals managed to maintain their composure in the final overs and clinched victory by a margin of 20 runs. Although Rahul and Pooran both scored half-centuries, their efforts were futile in the end.
Regarding the Punjab Kings, they secured their first victory of IPL 2024 by defeating the Delhi Capitals by four wickets at their new home ground in Chandigarh. A disciplined bowling performance from Shikhar Dhawan’s team limited the Capitals to a total of 174/9. In the second innings, Sam Curran’s half-century propelled Punjab to victory as they chased down the target with four wickets in hand and the same number of balls remaining.
Pitch Report
Last season, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) encountered two different types of pitches at the Ekana Cricket Stadium during their home matches. One pitch was a batting paradise, offering favorable conditions for the batters to showcase their skills effectively. Conversely, the other pitch tended to assist the spinners, with the ball often keeping low, making it challenging for teams to chase targets. This latter type of pitch particularly suited the playing style of the team’s then-mentor, Gautam Gambhir.
However, Gambhir has now joined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as their mentor for the current season. Consequently, there is speculation that the Ekana Cricket Stadium may provide a batting-friendly surface in upcoming matches, allowing players such as Nicholas Pooran, KL Rahul, and Marcus Stoinis to exhibit their batting prowess without inhibition.
LSG Probable Playing XI
KL Rahul (c & wk), Quinton De Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur
PBKS Probable Playing XI
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
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