The 10th match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to be played between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Ekana Stadium on Friday, April 7. Both teams are coming into the contest on the back of losses and will be looking to get back to the winning ways.
Under the captaincy of KL Rahul, LSG began their season with a triumphant win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in their first-ever home game. They then witnessed a loss against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk. Across both the games, they have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament. SRH, on the other hand, once again began their campaign on a losing note, with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) getting the better of them.
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They were outplayed across all departments, but have been bolstered by the inclusion of Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klassen, and skipper Aiden Markram. The upcoming encounter between the two sides is expected to be a fascinating one, considering the composition of the squad as well as their desire to return to winning ways.
On that note, Here are three player battles to watch out for from the LSG vs SRH in the IPL 2023 contest in Lucknow.
#1 KL Rahul vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The former Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates will be pitted against each other in a key contest with the new ball. The previous and only IPL 2023 game in Lucknow so far showed how crucial the powerplay was for both sides. What makes the player battle interesting is the fact that both players are trying to find their form. KL Rahul has not come storming into this year’s IPL and has two below-par outings to his name so far.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, on the other hand, led the team in their season opener and finished with figures of 0-36 off his three overs. He also lost his place among Team India’s contract-listed members. The statistical matchups between the two key players showed a rather timid affair, but nonetheless important. Rahul has faced 79 balls from Bhuvneshwar across seven innings and has scored 93 runs at a strike rate of 117. The seamer, meanwhile, has managed to get the upper hand on one occasion.
#2 Mayank Agarwal vs Mark Wood
The first-time match-up is expected to be as intriguing on the field as it seems on paper. A flamboyant opening batter against a speedster is almost always a must-watch player battle, but recent form makes this matchup stand out from the rest. Mark Wood began IPL 2023 on a splendid note and currently holds the Purple Cap with eight scalps to his name from two matches. He now returns to the venue where he claimed an exceptional five-wicket haul to dent DC in their season opener.
Mayank Agarwal is easing into his new franchise and was a small positive takeaway from SRH’s heavy defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2023. With the opening batter an active player in the powerplay, looking to take on the bowlers and keep the run flow ticking, he will meet his proper match in the form of the England speedster.
#3 Aiden Markram vs Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi is making a huge statement in the 2023 IPL after being dropped out of the national team squad in an abrupt fashion after the Asia Cup. The leg-spinner has five wickets to his name in two innings so far and is leading LSG’s spin department in style. Generally operating in the middle overs as most leg-spinners do, Bishnoi has a huge assignment in the form of the in-form Aiden Markram. The SRH skipper has joined the franchise and is expected to be in the thick of things straight away.
The duo have faced each other only once so far. Bishnoi has bowled seven deliveries to Markram so far, conceding just seven runs. Although the sample size is quite low to be assessed, the key aspect is that Markram has not hit Bishnoi for a boundary while the leg-spinner has not taken the batter’s wicket yet.
