What does LSG bring to the Royals in black or red?

Match information

Lucknow Super Giants ( Fourth- P8, W5, L3 ) vs Rajasthan Royals ( First- P8, W7, L1 )
Lucknow, 7.30pm ( 2pm GMT )

Great picture

Variety is variable in the T20, but LSG and RR are the only two teams with two or more victories in a row before their appointment in Lucknow. Both groups currently lead the nation, and RR, who now has 14 factors, could be in the finals if they win on Saturday evening.

Both teams have powerful top orders and sometimes stutter with middle-order roles, and both have excellent assaults with plenty of variety in this match. It's difficult to find a favorite. RR are properly prepared to compete on any surface Ekana throws up, whether it's slow, low black soil or accurate, bouncing red, despite winning three of their four home games so far this season.

Both teams are looking menacing if you go by the measurement of important players finding type halfway through the time. Yashasvi Jaiswal did but with a match- winning era in RR's most recent activity, against Mumbai Indians on April 22, and Marcus Stoinis matched him in LSG's most new game, against Chennai Super Kings on April 23.

There is a chance that Mayank Yadav will return to activity if all else fails to whet your appetite.

Kind guide

Lucknow Super Giants WWLLW ( last five matches, most recent first )
Rajasthan Royals WWWLW

Past meeting

Both groups were playing their first fit of IPL 2024 when they met in Jaipur on March 24. Sanju Samson's unbroken 82 led Royals to a full of 193, and LSG were on the hunt thanks to Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul's half-century. It came down to a gettable 65 from 36 balloons with both of them at the seam, but a great conclusion- innings display led by Sandeep Sharma sealed a 20- work win for Royals.

Team media and influence player strategy

Mayank Yadav, who has missed LSG's final four games with an chest problem, bowled in the nets in the prospect- up to Saturday's activity. S Sriram, the team's assistant coach, said Mayank is "pretty close" to a comeback. If he returns, Yash Thakur could make way for him. LSG have not used M Siddharth's left- arm spin in recent games, but he remains an interesting option to come off the subs bench and take the new ball if needed.

Likely XII 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 KL Rahul ( capt & wk ), 3 Marcus Stoinis, 4 Devdutt Padikkal, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Mohsin Khan, 12 Mayank Yadav/Yash Thakur.

Rajasthan Royals
Sandeep Sharma returned from injury and took match- turning figures of 5 for 18 in RR's last match, against Mumbai Indians. He is likely to keep his place and share the new ball with Trent Boult. There is a chance that the Royals will add Keshav Maharaj as their third spinner if a black-sand pitch is introduced in Lucknow.

Likely XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson ( capt & wk ), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal.

In the spotlight

Quinton de Kock has had a quiet IPL by his standards. He averages just 28.50 after eight innings, and while he's made three fifties, all of them have come at strike rates below 145. LSG would love it if he found some of his old fluency, but the RR attack may present him a stern test: he has T20 strike rates of below 125 against all their key bowlers- Boult, Sandeep, Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin.

R Ashwin will explain to you ( as he has on his YouTube channel ) that taking wickets is losing its relevance in T20 despite taking just one wicket in seven games this season, an average of 240.00. Since Yuzvendra Chahal has taken 13 wickets this season, his economy rate of 8.88 is almost identical to that of Yuzvendra Chahal ( 8.83 ). Ashwin's economy rate of 8.68 against left-handers is his worst of any IPL season, which is perhaps worrying. Can Ashwin dominate his favorite match-up like he has for so long? LSG might have de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, and possibly Devdutt Padikkal in their top eight.

Pitch and conditions

Red soil or black soil? It's the question to ask in the lead- up to every game in Lucknow, and it's a potentially tricky one for the home side ahead of this game. LSG love controlling games with their spinners on black- soil pitches, but Royals come here with one of the best spin attacks in the competition.

Stats that matter

Royals have won three of their four matches against LSG so far. The two teams have never met in Lucknow, however.

Mayank Yadav has the best middle- overs economy rate ( 5.00 ) and average ( 7.00 ) of any bowler in IPL 2024 ( minimum 30 balls bowled in that phase ).

Sanju Samson is only five hits away from completing the IPL's 200 Sixers.

Quotes

" You've got to keep that white noise away. That's the skill of really good teams. You ca n't look too much at what others are doing. We have no control over that. We've got to turn up every day and be the best that we can be, and then, we'll definitely qualify]for the playoffs ] if we do that".
LSG assistant coach S Sriram on the intense competition to finish in the top four

" We've played eight matches and won seven of them, and in those seven matches we've had six different Man of the Match]winners]. So everyone in the team has been contributing. The main factor in matches is this. Whenever there's a requirement, a different player ]steps up ]. It's not like just one player is winning us games".
RR batter Dhruv Jurel about the origins of their storming season opener.