On Wednesday, May 3, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will meet in the afternoon at the Ekana Stadium. The game was originally scheduled for May 4, but the city’s state elections forced it to be moved up. Despite being in the top four, both teams want to get back to winning after recent results that didn’t go their way. LSG lost to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a low-scoring match, while CSK lost a last-ball thriller at home against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Since they have already lost three games at the Ekana Stadium, LSG’s problems at home have been the talk of the town. The preparation of slow pitches is prompted by their team, particularly their spin trio. However, their strategies have failed, particularly with regard to chasing at the venue. In addition, it’s possible that the team won’t have KL Rahul for the upcoming matchup.
The LSG captain supported a physical issue while handling in the misfortune against RCB and was a long way from fit while emerging to bat at No.11 during the run pursue. CSK is scheduled to play three afternoon matches in a row, the second of which will be this one.
They were defeated by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their first afternoon match of the season, largely due to their poor bowling efforts. CSK is helped by the slow Lucknow surface and the fact that the encounter in the afternoon will make the surface even more dry.
1) Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya has played a significant role with the new ball and has been crucial in LSG’s home matches thus far. He has taken some important wickets in the powerplay, and possibly the most important thing LSG needs to do is end CSK’s first partnership.
The majority of CSK’s runs in IPL 2023 have been scored by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway. The left-arm spinner will especially have his eye on Ruturaj, who has been a piece cagey with his methodology of late.
2) Shivam Dube vs Ravi Bishnoi
Shivam Dube has regained his form after a few tense matches and has settled well into his middle order role for CSK. He has made an extraordinary showing bringing down the resistance spinners in the center overs and has kept an exceptionally high strike rate too.
In the middle overs, LSG’s primary batsman is Ravi Bishnoi, who returned to the wicket tally against RCB with a solid spell. The leg spinner as of now has an inclination for bowling to left-gave players and his matchup against Shivam Dube will undoubtedly be intriguing.
To date, the two have faced off in three innings. Dube has scored 33 runs off 20 conveyances bowled by Bishnoi, while the leg-spinner has prevailed with regards to taking the all-rounder’s wicket on one event.
3) Nicholas Pooran vs Matheesa Pathirana
In the final innings of the IPL 2023 match, Matheesha Pathirana and Nicholas Pooran played important roles for their respective teams.
While pace bowling isn’t supposed to have an enormous say in the challenge, powerful and clinical demise bowling is a gift to have regardless of the surface.
So far, the Sri Lankan youngster has mostly executed his strategies perfectly against big names at the tail end of the innings. Additionally, he has a meaner, more sluggish delivery, which could be advantageous on such a surface.
How Pooran responds to the unconventional tactics and variations in the death overs will be fascinating to watch.