In this article, we will discuss the IPL 2024 Predicting Lucknow Super Giants’ Playing XI for their clash against Kolkata Knight Riders. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 54 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. When the two locked horns with each other last month, KKR emerged victorious at their home ground, the Eden Gardens. Now, LSG will look to settle the scores when they invite the two-time champions to their turf, the Ekana Cricket Stadium, on Sunday, May 5.
As a result of their impressive campaign so far, KKR and LSG have occupied second and third positions, respectively, in the points table. Kolkata have won seven of their 10 matches, with their most recent success coming against Mumbai Indians (MI) by 24 runs.
Meanwhile, Lucknow also defeated the same opponents by four wickets in the last game to register their sixth win of the season. Both teams have quality players in their ranks and have performed well so far, promising an intense battle for cricket fans. Will LSG make any changes to their XI or go with their winning combination?
Here is LSG’s predicted XI against KKR in IPL 2024, Match 54:
Openers: KL Rahul, Arshin Kulkarni (Impact Player)
KL Rahul is the backbone of the LSG batting unit. The skipper has scored over 400 runs in 10 matches at an average of 40.60 and a strike rate of 142.96. He also has three half-centuries to his name this season and is currently the fifth-leading run-scorer.
LSG’s opening pair were unsuccessful, prompting the management to bench Quinton de Kock and bring in Arshin Kulkarni in the slot as an Impact Substitute in the last match against MI. However, the 19-year-old failed to make his IPL debut impressive as he was dismissed for a golden duck. The management is likely to give him another chance to prove his mettle.
Middle-Order: Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni
Deepak Hooda’s form is a concern for the team in their middle order. Barring a half-century, the right-hander has not made much of an impact this season. Nicholas Pooran is a major force in the LSG line-up who can get them out of trouble and provide a blazing finish. He has scored over 300 runs at a remarkable strike rate.
Ashton Turner made his LSG debut against MI as de Kock’s omission left an overseas spot vacant. The decision to include the Australian in the line-up was to bring more stability in their middle order. Ayush Badoni’s batting position has varied this season, but he has mostly batted in the lower-middle order. The task of the youngster is to give a good finish to the team, but so far, he has not put up a remarkable performance.
All-Rounders: Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis
The two all-rounders are vital assets for the team. Krunal Pandya has not been able to contribute much with his batting prowess but his spin bowling has been impressive. He has the knack of picking up crucial wickets and stopping the run flow in the middle overs.
Marcus Stoinis is currently in red-hot form, which has boosted LSG’s confidence immensely. The fast-bowling all-rounder recently scored a match-winning hundred against CSK and followed it up with a crucial 45-ball 62 against MI. He can also chip in with some wickets in the middle overs.
Bowlers: Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, K Gowtham
Ravi Bishnoi did not live up to the occasion this season and the consequences were visible even when he was overlooked for the T20 World Cup. With the Ekana Cricket Stadium pitch likely to help the bowlers too, Bishnoi will aim for an effective outing and prove the Indian selectors wrong.
Mayank Yadav’s injury resulted in a huge blow to the franchise. After missing a series of matches, the pace sensation returned to the team in their last match. However, according to reports, Mayank is not fully fit and is likely to miss the remainder of the series. Considering the current situation, Yash Thakur, who was dropped in the last match, is likely to return to the XI. Naveen-ul-Haq and Mohsin Khan are the other two pace bowlers in the LSG line-up.
LSG Predicted XI vs KKR
KL Rahul (c & wk), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur
Impact Player – Arshin Kulkarni