Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans Predictions: LSG has never won against GT in IPL

Playing in their seventh game of the season Lucknow Super Giants will welcome Gujarat Titans in the 30th game of the season at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on 22nd April. Both teams are in impressive form and will be looking to continue the momentum. LSG has never won against GT and will be looking for the same. Who will win this game?

After their recent victory against the table-topping Rajasthan Royals, the Lucknow Super Giants are feeling confident and hoping to replicate that success in their next match. KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers have been a solid opening pair, with Mayers particularly impressive, scoring three half-centuries in six innings and keeping Quinton de Kock out of the starting eleven. Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis have also been reliable middle-order batsmen, although Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, and Ayush Badoni have struggled for form this season. This is a weakness that LSG needs to address. In the previous match, the seamers, including Naveen ul-Haq, Avesh Khan, and Marcus Stoinis, bowled exceptionally well against the strong Rajasthan Royals batting lineup and defended a modest total. Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra have been economical spinners in previous games and will be important in this match as well. Overall, LSG is well-suited to their home conditions and will be a formidable opponent.

KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Avesh Khan, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravi Bishnoi

Despite starting the season with consecutive wins, the defending champions have faced a bit of a setback recently, losing 2 out of their 3 most recent matches. Consequently, they are currently struggling to maintain a top-4 position. However, with more than half the season remaining, they will aim to bounce back strongly in the upcoming matches. Shubhman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have displayed good form with the bat, scoring 2 half-centuries each, while Vijay Shankar has provided decent support in patches. However, the other top and middle-order batsmen need to improve their performance if the Titans are to fare better.

Although the team possesses strong batting depth with the likes of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan, they haven't had many opportunities to showcase their talent. Wriddhiman Saha has struggled at the opening slot, while David Miller and Hardik Pandya have been inconsistent in the lower order. The Titans have an edge in the bowling department. Their top bowlers, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Shami, have taken 21 wickets together and are expected to lead the charge. They will receive good support from other bowlers such as Alzarri Joseph, Josh Little, and Mohit Sharma.

GT is known for its strong bowling attack, and while they remain competitive, their batting has appeared vulnerable in IPL 2023 so far.

Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (c), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma

The surface at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium is well-balanced, ensuring a fair battle between the bat and ball. The average first-inning score has been approximately 160, making it a par score. There are areas of grass that can assist the seamers in getting some movement, while the spinners will focus on the drier areas. The pitch in Lucknow suits the home team, which could pose a challenge for GT. Hence we are going to support the Lucknow Super Giants to emerge victorious in this game. Expect a low scoring affair in the day game here.