LSG vs CSK 45th Match Prediction

LSG vs CSK Team Previews

Lucknow Super Giants

The Super Giants have been pretty inconsistent this season and this is evident from the fact that while they scored the second-highest score by any team in the history of IPL last Friday, they were unable to chase a modest target of 127 on Monday. Of course, the surfaces were very different as well.

The team has now lost 3 of its last 5 matches and is 3rd on the points table.

The onus of the loss can be squarely put on the batsmen as they showed a lack of intent and application. Only 2 of the top 6 batsmen managed to reach double-digit scores. The team will need to put the loss behind them and come out with a clear frame of mind.

Kyle Mayers will be the key batsman for the LSG here. He has been in excellent form this season and will be looking to score some runs at the top but his record in Lucknow is not very good. He has only scored runs in the first match played here and nothing much thereafter.

KL Rahul injured his thigh in the last match and we are still awaiting updates regarding his status.

Marcus Stoinis and Nicolas Pooran have been pretty consistent in the middle order. There ability to slcear the boundaries can be invaluable during the middle phase of the match when CSK is expected to try and lock the game down with its spinners.

More will be expected from Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya as both have failed to get going with the bat.

In the bowling department, Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra will hold the key here as the surface is quite slow. Naveen ul-Haq bowled a brilliant spell in the last match and will once again look to bowl a good spell at the death. Krunal Pandya and Stoinis are expected to start the proceedings with the new ball.

We continue to maintain that LSG is very well-suited to home conditions, however, its results have not gone the way they would have liked so far. 

Chennai Super Kings

Just like the Super Giants, the Super Kings too will be disappointed with their latest outing as they failed to defend a 200-run score at their fortress, the Chepauk. The Super Kings have now lost 2 matches on the trot and will need to win here if they want to avoid the danger of falling out of the top-4.

Devon Conway has been in sublime form in the last couple of weeks. He has scored 5 half-centuries in his last 6 outings and is 3rd on the list of top run-getters for the season. He has found a worthy opening partner in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, and together, they will once again look to give the team a good start.

The middle order looks pretty strong too, thanks to the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, and MS Dhoni. The two all-rounders, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja add depth to the batting.

We think CSK is unlikely to send out Rahane to bat unless a wicket falls in the first 6 Overs. He can struggle against spin on slow surfaces and someone like Dube or even Moeen may be preferable. Ravindra Jadeja has been promoted in the past but he seems to take a bit more time than this current CSK management likes and so is relegated to batting in the death overs.

Tushar Deshpande is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 17 wickets but is very expensive. Similarly, Matheesha Pathirana has shown that he can take wickets but he lacks discipline in line and length. With the pitch in Lucknow being a bit slow, the spinners, Jadeja and Moeen Ali are likely to play a key role here.

On the face of it, the Ekana Stadium should suit CSK perfectly but this current CSK squad is built differently than the CSK teams of the past. They would prefer a more even surface on which its players can showcase their power game.