Overview
The last time these two teams met, Lucknow Super Giants overhauled an imposing total of 212 off the final delivery. But like every other team barring Gujarat Titans, they have struggled to string together a sequence of wins. As for Royal Challengers Bangalore, this is the first of five consecutive matches away from home. Their lopsided schedule is the result of assembly elections in Karnataka in May, and they will return to the Chinnaswamy Stadium only for their final match on May 21.
Their bowlers may actually enjoy being away from a venue where neither the pitch nor the short boundaries give them any protection. Having said that, Lucknow probably isn’t the venue they would have chosen for the first leg of their cross-country odyssey. After the first game at the Ekana Stadium, it has been notoriously difficult for batters. Besides the new-ball brilliance of Mohammed Siraj, Bangalore’s campaign has largely been propelled by the batting of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell. A slow pitch that doesn’t aid their shot-making strengths isn’t ideal, though both Wanindu Hasaranga, with his leg-spin, and Harshal Patel, with his slower variations, might enjoy the stodgy surface.
Lucknow bashed their way to 257 in Mohali in their previous outing and will be encouraged by the fact that it was not a one or two-man show, with contributions right down the order. KL Rahul continues to struggle, but those around him have been in fine touch. Lucknow will also be confident that Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra will ask searching questions of a Bangalore line-up that has shown little depth. If Lucknow can get past the top three, there are few other in-form batters to stop them.
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Venue and time
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. 7:30 PM.
Head-to-Head
Bangalore have won two of their three encounters so far.
Expected conditions and toss
It will be a cool evening in Lucknow, with a temperature of around 21C at the start of play. Due is unlikely to be a factor though. On what is likely to be a slow pitch though, expect the team winning the toss to bat first.
Likely playing XI and impact player
Lucknow’s strategy has been fairly straightforward in recent matches. Amit Mishra bowls, and then sits out when they bat. But with Marcus Stoinis unlikely to play this game after picking up a finger injury, Quinton de Kock could come in for his first outing of the campaign. Bangalore are also likely to see a new face, with Josh Hazlewood now fit and cleared to play. Their impact-player options have been restricted by du Plessis’s rub injury, which forces them to bring someone in after he bats. Kohli will once again lead the side.
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, KL Rahul (C), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Yash Thakur.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (C), Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Josh Hazlewood, 11 Mohammed Siraj.