In the highly anticipated 44th match of the 2024 Indian Premier League season, the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Supergiants are gearing up to face off once again against the league leaders Rajasthan Royals captained by Sanju Samson. This clash is set to unfold at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium, marking the second game of the double-header on Saturday.
With the Royals already amassing 14 points, their journey to the knockout stages seems assured while the Super Giants also boast a promising path to qualification, reminiscent of their performances in the past two seasons.
Both teams have contested 8 league matches, leaving them with 6 more to play. Currently occupying the fourth position on the points table, the hosts have secured 5 wins and suffered 3 losses. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals have comfortably maintained their position at the top, with just a solitary loss in their campaign alongside 7 triumphant outings.
What has happened so far?
After losing their season opener against RR by 20 runs, LSG bounced back with three consecutive wins against Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Gujarat Titans, all while successfully defending their totals.
However, they stumbled in the next two matches against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, failing to defend their scores and suffering defeats by margins of 6 wickets and 8 wickets respectively.
In their last two encounters, they faced defending champions Chennai Super Kings twice, and LSG emerged victorious both times, first by comfortably chasing down 177 runs and then by achieving a historic chase of 211 runs with three balls to spare courtesy of Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten innings of 124 runs off 63 balls, marking the highest individual score in IPL run chases in the last 13 years.
As for RR, the Pink-Jersey side has been exceptional since the beginning of the season, winning four consecutive matches against LSG, DC, Mumbai Indians, and RCB. Their only loss of the ongoing season came in a last-ball thriller against Gujarat.
Nevertheless, bouncing back from setbacks, the Royals regained their winning momentum, winning all three last matches by successfully chasing targets against PBKS, KKR, and MI.
Head to Head Record
In their brief but spirited rivalry, the Jaipur-based franchise has dominated with three wins to LSG’s solitary victory in their four encounters so far.
Reflecting on their latest clash, RR secured a convincing win by successfully defending their formidable total of 193 runs, ultimately limiting LSG to a modest 173 runs.
Key Players
Pooran has smashed 22 sixes this year, the most by any player for LSG thus far
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants): Nicholas Pooran has been consistently delivering solid performances this season proving himself to be a cornerstone for LSG. Once he settles in, it promises to be a challenging night for the RR bowlers on Saturday.
The southpaw currently stands as the second-highest run-scorer for LSG, amassing an impressive 280 runs in 8 innings with a strike rate nearing 170, including one fifty. His lone fifty which came against RR in the season opener saw him unleash a blistering 64 runs off 41 balls.
Surprisingly, Pooran’s IPL 2024 average of 70 is currently the second-best in the ongoing tournament with him remaining unbeaten four times, the most by any player in the top 20 run-getters list.
Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals): Skipper Samson is aiming to surpass his best IPL season in 2021, where he scored 484 runs in 14 innings. With 314 runs in just 8 innings at an impressive average of 62.80, he currently stands as the fifth-highest run-getter in IPL 2024.
In the season opener against LSG, the Trivandrum-born batsman led from the front, guiding his team with an unbeaten innings of 82 runs off just 52 deliveries, including 3 boundaries and 6 sixes.
Samson’s consistency has been a driving force behind his team’s success in the league stages, leaving RR fans eagerly anticipating his potential century-making innings.
Team News from Both Camps
On the eve of the match between CSK and LSG in Chennai, LSG’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel confirmed that young starlet Mayank Yadav will be fit for the match against RR at home. If Yadav regains his full fitness, he might replace Yash Thakur in the playing XI.
On the other side, the visitors, who got a big boost with the comeback of Sandeep Sharma from injury, are most likely to stick with the same playing XI.
Predicted XIs
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul © (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Matt Henry, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson © (wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal
Prediction
It promises to be an exhilarating match, with both teams riding high on winning streaks and brimming with confidence. A victory for RR would catapult them into the playoffs, while LSG’s win would strengthen their playoff position.
With just one loss under their belt, the Royals emerge as favorites to secure the crucial two points in Lucknow against the Justin Langer-led side.