Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2023, Today Match Prediction

lsg vs pbks Match Prediction & Analysis

Lucknow Super Giants will be back to the Ekana Stadium for their 3rd home game. While LSG are in sublime form having won their last two consecutive matches, Punjab Kings seem to have lost their rhythm.

After kicking off the season with two back to back wins, Punjab Kings are in all sorts of trouble. The big collapse against Sunrisers wasn’t a one-time thing as the batting struggles in the PBKS continued in the next game as well.

Lucknow’s spinners were all over the opposition in their last outing at this venue and they will once again be a force to reckon with. Mark Wood is back in the side for LSG and will be a key bowler in the powerplay. 

While Punjab Kings struggle with the bat, their bowlers are their best hope at the moment. Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, and Harpreet Brar have shown promise with the ball and will be ones to watch out for in this squad.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Lucknow Super Giants Preview

Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran led the Super Giants to a brilliant win over RCB in their last match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Pooran has been consistently delivering in the middle order and is a key player to watch out for.

At the top order, there is Kyle Mayers who can make a similar impact early in the innings. KL Rahul hasn’t been in his best form. There haven’t been any impactful knocks from the captain and moreover, his strike rate is also a big concern for LSG.

Krunal Pandya’s role has been a bit different this season as Lucknow have sent him at number 4 ahead of Stoinis and Pooran. He did play a handy knock in the run chase against Sunrisers in their last home game, but isn’t a very reliable number 4 batsman.

We reckon the biggest woes in the LSG batting lineup would be the form of KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda. These two haven’t found their rhythm and it isn’t a good idea to continue being dependent on Pooran in every game. However, the bowlers haven’t let them down. And the likes of Amit Mishra, Ravi Bishnoi, and Pandya will be key players in this game as they face a struggling Punjab lineup.

Lucknow Super Giants Predicted Playing XI:

KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Jaydev Unadkat, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi

Lucknow Super Giants Actual Playing XI:

Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Lokesh Rahul, Avesh Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Yudhvir Singh, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Mark Wood, Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda

Punjab Kings Preview

Punjab desperately need to bounce back with the bat. Shikhar Dhawan alone cannot lead the team to a competitive total and needs others to contribute as well.

Matthew Short and Bhanuka Rajapaksa are the key players in the middle order and a lot depends on these two. If Dhawan is out early, these two will have a more serious role to play in the middle.

Rajapaksa started with a well-played fifty in the opening game against KKR and was retired hurt against RR early in his innings. He was out for the SRH game and back for the home game against Gujarat when he scored just 20 off 26 balls.

There is some hope in the lower order when it comes to finishing. The likes of Sam Curran and Shahrukh Khan can deliver a big finish for the Kings and push the score a bit further.

A big start at the top is extremely critical for this Punjab setup. If they lose the openers early on, they would be on the backfoot and less likely to come back in the game. 

Sam Curran will be a key bowler alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar. These three have a better economy rate and have also found consistent success. Punjab have a strong spin bowler in Rahul Chahar who can deliver breakthroughs in the middle overs and put PBKS on the top.

Punjab Kings Predicted Playing XI:

Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings Actual Playing XI:

Sikandar Raza, Arshdeep Singh, Atharva Taide, Matthew Short, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Singh, Harpreet Brar, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitches on this ground are batting friendly and also offer help for the pacers. There haven’t been a lot of matches on this ground and we haven’t observed isn’t  consistent behavior from the pitch. It will be a tough job to assess the conditions for both teams. The weather will be partly cloudy with a high of 41 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow will be the venue for the LSG vs PBKS match as the home team eyes a hat trick of wins. The average 1st innings score in T20Is at this venue is 160 runs. Team batting first should be targeting a total little over 175-180 to give themselves a good chance of winning the game.

Toss: To Bat

Of the two IPL matches, the team batting first has won one game. However, batting first has resulted in 5 wins in 6 T20 internationals. It wasn’t an easy chase for LSG in their last outing here. Punjab Kings aren’t in a position to chase down a total given their current batting form and would be better off opting to bat first.

LSG vs PBKS
Winning Prediction

Lucknow Super Giants will be coming into this game on the back of a huge win against RCB in their last match. Punjab Kings on the other hand, are struggling with most of their key players failing to score big. They lack partnerships and will be dependent on their bowlers to give them a fighting chance in this match. Overall, LSG are in a better position to win this match and will start as favourites in our match prediction.

Our prediction is for Lucknow Super Giants to win

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