A terrific start to the season placed Lucknow Super Giants well in the top four of the IPL 2023 points table. However, just one win from the last five matches has pushed LSG down to the fifth spot. With the business end approaching and just three league matches to play, it’s time to take back the place in the top four.

That mission will begin with an away match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. It will be LSG’s first-ever match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and the afternoon fixture will start at 3:30 PM IST.

Last time, Krunal Pandya’s all-round show (3/18 and 34) helped LSG sink SRH by five wickets in a modest chase of 121. 

Ahead of Saturday’s clash, LSG are placed fifth with 11 points from 11 matches - five wins and five losses. They come into the contest after facing a 56-run defeat chasing GT’s massive 227/2 in Ahmedabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, handed a stunning defeat to Rajasthan Royals off the last ball chasing 214. They are ninth on the points table with four wins and six losses. A loss on Friday could almost mean the end of the campaign for the Orange Army in IPL 2023.

Super Giants to watch out for

Krunal Pandya will continue to lead the side with KL Rahul ruled out for the rest of the season. He was the star of the show for LSG against SRH last time and will look for a similar outing in the reverse fixture. Ravi Bishnoi will lead the spin department while QDK, Mayers, Badoni, Stoinis and Pooran will be our men in charge in batting. 

A peek into the SRH squad

The Orange Army were outplayed in all departments by the LSG Brigade the last time the two teams faced off in Lucknow.

This time, SRH will look for an inspiring performance from seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Mayank Markande, the leading wicket-taker in the side with 11 scalps, will be the key spinner for SRH. Heinrich Klaasen, who has scored runs at an average of 43 at a strike rate of over 185 this season, will be their lynchpin in batting.

LSG vs SRH: Head-to-head

LSG and SRH have clashed twice in the history of IPL. The contest on April 7 saw LSG chase down 121 with ease while the match last year had KL Rahul (68 off 50) and Deepak Hooda (51 off 33) guide the team to 169/7 before Avesh Khan (4/24) rattled the SRH lineup to help LSG win by 12 runs.

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants, Match 58

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Time: 3.30 PM IST