LSG, GT gear up for a top-heavy battle in Lucknow
The performance of new-ball bowlers could have a big say in which direction this game goes
Ekanth
11-Apr-2025
Big picture: a top-order collision
Twenty five games into IPL 2025, the top four run-scorers are from Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) top order. If that wasn't unexpected enough, Shubman Gill isn't on that list. It has allowed both teams to work around vulnerabilities in their batting.
In a season where teams are looking to maximise their scoring throughout the innings despite the situation, GT follow an old-school T20 template. B Sai Sudharsan, who was the player of the match for his 82 in GT's win over Rajasthan Royals (RR), said, "we try and keep a lot of wickets in hand and go full-on in the last five overs."
Their middle order has remained unburdened as at least one of Gill, Sai Sudharsan or Jos Buttler have scored a fifty in each of their five games so far. Not that that's made them formulaic. In fact, after the last game GT's assistant coach Parthiv Patel said, "there are no specific roles as such. As a team, we have a top three, but we keep shuffling the batting order. We react based on conditions and the situation."
That flexibility was on demonstrated by Washington Sundar being promoted to No. 4 in their win against Sunrisers Hyderabad - he made 49 off 29 balls - but then he was replaced with Shahrukh Khan, whose 20-ball 36 built on a well-set platform against RR.
For LSG, the chance pairing of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh clicking has bolstered the impact of Nicholas Pooran's onslaughts and nullified Rishabh Pant's lack of runs.
Form guide
Lucknow Super Giants WWL (last three matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Titans WWW
Gujarat Titans WWW
Team news and likely XIIs
Parthiv had said GT played four seamers against Royals because of the conditions in Ahmedabad. Lucknow is unlikely to be as seamer-friendly and Washington is likely to replace one of the quicks.
Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Arshad Khan/Kulwant Khejroliya
Lucknow Super Giants are unlikely to change their XII from the last game. They have the option of bringing in left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth to challenge the two right-handers in GT's top order.
Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Ravi Bishnoi
The big question
Rashid has bowled only one over in the powerplay so far this season. Marsh, Markram and Pooran have sub-120 strike rates against him, Pooran has even been dismissed twice in 66 balls. Rashid has only started to rediscover his form after a poor start to this season, but should he be brought on to bowl earlier given the strength of LSG's top order?
When should Rashid be introduced?
2.0K votesIn the powerplay
Between overs 6 and 9
After the 9th over
In the spotlight - Digvesh Rathi and Prasidh Krishna
Five of Digvesh Rathi's seven T20s have come in IPL 2025. His celebrations might have landed him in hot waters but his impact cannot be written off. His economy rate of 7.75 is easily the best of all of LSG's bowlers so far this season. In LSG's last game, against Kolkata Knight Riders where 472 runs runs were scored, his economy was 8.25. While Ravi Bishnoi remains the primary legspinner in the side, Rathi's position is only rising.
Prasidh Krishna's pace and height have offered Titans a unique advantage in the middle overs. He has been able to hit the middle of the pitch and get extra bounce to challenge batters on the back foot. He is coming off five wickets in the last games and is a threat to LSG's middle order.
Pitch and conditions
There are slight chances of rain in the evening but a large stoppage is unlikely. In terms of the pitch, 15 wickets have been taken by pacers so far in Lucknow and spinners only six. Lucknow did roll out a black-soil surface after Pant and LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had expressed disappointment over the lack of assistance for the spinners during their loss to Punjab Kings. But the spinners took only two of the ten wickets to fall in the 472-run game. They might have a better outing this time considering this is a day game.
Stats and Trivia
- LSG and GT are also the only teams to have scored more than 500 runs in the middle-overs this season
- GT, in this phase have lost only 8 wickets, the joint-least with Delhi Capitals
- Rashid has dismissed Pant three times and conceded 114 runs in 103 balls across 15 innings. He has a great record against David Miller too, whom he has dismissed 4 times in 59 balls while conceding only 67 runs
Quotes
"The games that we have won, we've kind of found ways to win, been under pressure with our bowling and batting at certain stages and getting through that and still winning, so for me that's the encouraging part for the team."
LSG batter David Miller on the team's form
"Ashish Nehra is a very compassionate about the players, and that's why it seems like [he is animated] from the outside. He cares a lot for people around him. It is good to see the combination of Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill - they work very well and it's like hand in glove."
Gujarat Titans batter M Shahrukh Khan on Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill
Ekanth is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo