Being the first team to breach the 300-run mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a matter of when for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), not if. The expectations became louder when they scored 286 runs in their very first game. But since then, they have hardly held on to themselves, let alone made or broken records. SRH started this season as one of the favourites, but now all they can do is get as much distance from the bottom position as they can manage from what remains of their campaign.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are just one spot ahead of SRH. They started their season stuttering, saw some stability in the form of three consecutive wins, and for once seemed set to break into the big guys’ club. But soon, they were back to their old ways, which saw them losing four out of their last five games. Even the ones they won were mostly close calls, clearly heralding the fact that there was plenty of damage beneath the surface.
Unlike SRH, LSG still have a chance to make it to the playoffs, but that is as unrealistic as it gets. Not only will they have to win all of their next three games, which include matches against teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT), they will also have to hope that Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lose all of their remaining games. Even a single defeat could see them crash out, and given that they are on a three-game losing streak, that could happen in this game.
Team Overview:
For the longest time, LSG rode high on the backs of their top three, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran. Even when they were winning, the upper middle order did not chip in significantly. They have averaged the second-worst of all teams this IPL — 24.06. It was only natural for the top three to frazzle at some point, and when they did, the team went on a downward spiral. That should not, however, understate the contributions from Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad, who showed up for the side even when the big guns failed to do so. On top of this, their bowlers have been equally dismal. Mayank Yadav’s injury has become the stuff of nightmares for LSG, while the remaining lot has failed to stick to lucrative lines and lengths. With Yadav still struggling with his injury, newly signed Will O’Rourke can fill in for him and give LSG’s worn-out bowling lineup some sheen.
SRH’s blistering duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head has become a relic of the past. They have shown glimpses of their trademark best but failed to do so consistently, hence harming the team’s survival chances beyond repair. Ishan Kishan, barring his century in the first game and an odd 40-plus innings, has failed to even cross 20 runs in the rest of the games. While Heinrich Klaasen has consistently shown why he is one of the best hitters of spin out there, there’s only so much he can do alone. Like LSG, SRH’s bowling has been downright terrible. A team with names like Pat Cummins and Mohammad Shami displaying an ugly show of bowling is shocking, but even the duo couldn’t do much to spare SRH from their misery this season.
In this game, they are likely to be without Head, who will arrive in India just a few hours before the match.
Head-to-Head Match:
The short history between both teams favours LSG. Out of their five encounters with SRH, they have won four. SRH have only ever won one game against the Super Giants.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Lucknow has inclined more towards bowlers this season than the other venues. With temperatures extremely high, the surface could become more bowling-friendly, though this also means bowlers will have a hard time doing their job in the second innings. The 200-run mark has only been crossed once at the venue this season. However, all of the totals here have been in excess of 150 runs.
Prediction:
It’s going to be a tough game. Both sides are nearly at par with each other in terms of performance. The conditions will also offer a fair game between bat and ball. However, LSG’s skill set will likely be more relevant on this ground than SRH’s.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
