Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to clash in the 54th IPL 2024 encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 5th. Both teams have played 10 matches each in this season. Kolkata Knight Riders have had a stellar start, securing the second position on the points table with 7 wins out of 10 games, accumulating 14 points and boasting a +1.098 net run rate.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants have won 6 of their 10 matches, placing third with 12 points and a +0.094 net run rate. Having met only four times in IPL history, Kolkata has secured one victory while Lucknow emerged victorious in three encounters, setting the stage for another thrilling battle on Sunday.
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The previous fixture saw bowlers gaining prominence, with strategies favoring a balanced contest between bat and ball. However, the choice of pitch for Sunday’s game will dictate the flow of runs. Despite the challenging dimensions of the ground, KKR’s prowess in hitting sixes may pose a significant challenge for the opposition.
In their head-to-head record, LSG leads with three wins against KKR’s one, setting up an intriguing encounter in Lucknow, their first meeting at this venue.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
In LSG’s recent match against MI, Mayank Yadav faced another setback and is unlikely to feature for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Phil Salt, with his season-best knock of 89 runs off 47 balls, displayed his prowess against LSG in the previous encounter, albeit struggling away from home with just 53 runs in 4 innings.
Facing KKR, LSG might opt for a different approach against Sunil Narine, possibly through Mohsin Khan, who has previously troubled the KKR opener. Narine’s vulnerability against left-arm quicks, with three dismissals this season and a strike rate of 61 off 46 balls, could work in LSG’s favor, especially with Ekana Stadium’s spacious boundaries.
Probable XI: KL Rahul (C, wk), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR welcomes back Harshit Rana after his one-match ban, reinforcing their spin attack led by Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Both bowlers have been economical, conceding only 44 runs for four wickets in their last outing. They pose a significant threat to LSG’s key batsmen like Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, with Stoinis particularly susceptible to spin, having been dismissed six times this season.
If LSG reintroduces Quinton de Kock, KKR’s Mitchell Starc, fresh off a four-wicket haul, will pose a formidable challenge, given de Kock’s struggles against left-arm pacers this season, with six dismissals to his name.
Probable XI: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Shreyas Iyer (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
KL Rahul (vc), Nicholas Pooran, Phil Salt, Shreyas Iyer, Sunil Narine (c), Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Naveen-ul-Haq
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Phil Salt (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Deepak Hooda, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Marcus Stoinis (vc), Krunal Pandya,Varun Chakaravarthy, Mitchell Starc, Naveen-ul-Haq
