Lucknow Super Giants, despite Nicholas Pooran’s heroics, has struggled for collective consistency and will rely on home support to inspire itself to a concerted effort against Mumbai Indians at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in the Indian Premier League 2025 on Friday.
The Super Giants’ fate has hinged upon Nicholas Pooran’s efforts alone, who holds the Orange Cap with 189 runs in three innings and flaunts a strike rate of nearly 220. His 70 off 26 deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad secured LSG’s first win of the season.
But even Pooran could not bail his side out after a collapse against Punjab Kings. Mitchell Marsh had proved the perfect foil to Pooran’s aggression in the first two games but had to bear the ignominy of a golden duck against the Kings.
Rishabh Pant’s lack of form in particular has been emblematic of LSG’s middle-order woes with the captain contributing just 17 runs in three essays. His task will be cut out against the left-arm unorthodox spin of Vignesh Puthur. Pant has a strike rate of 92 against this variety of spinners. He won’t get any leeway from Will Jacks either, whose off-spin will also be a favourable match-up for MI.
ALSO READ | Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada returns home due to personal reasons
David Miller has ended unbeaten in two out of his three outings but his middling strike rate of 134 has not allayed concerns over the side’s batting form. However, Abdul Samad’s late cameos, coming at a strike rate of 265, have been a silver lining.
With the ball, Ravi Bishnoi has conceded at 12.54 per over in the three games this season – his worst economy rate through a season before this was 8.77 in 2024. His most expensive IPL spell, two for 53 against Delhi Capitals, also came earlier this season.
Digvesh Rathi’s send off to Priyansh Arya might have left him red-faced against the Kings, but his five wickets this season at an economy of 8.41, though, have spared LSG’s spin attack the blushes. LSG’s batting frailties might see all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmad come back into the mix, instead of Manimaran Siddharth.
Akash Deep, who missed the start of the season due to a back injury, joined the squad on the match eve to bolster an injury-torn pace unit. Having plied his wares at the batting-friendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium till last season, Akash might find life easier in Lucknow.
MI comes into the match on the high of a home win, but faces the daunting task of snapping a six-game losing streak on the road. The Hardik Pandya-led side last won an away against Punjab Kings almost a year ago.
But no challenge would be too stiff with Suryakumar Yadav firing on all cylinders. The right-handed batter showed indications of getting into such rhythm by scoring 27 off nine deliveries against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma during practice session on the eve of their IPL match against Lucknow super Giants at Ekana stadium, in Lucknow.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma during practice session on the eve of their IPL match against Lucknow super Giants at Ekana stadium, in Lucknow.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu
The Indians’ batting ticked off another box in the last match with Ryan Rickelton scoring his maiden fifty. His opening partner, Rohit Sharma, however, has scored just 21 runs this season. To have him chipping in on Friday would give MI the best chance of batting LSG out of the contest, like Punjab Kings did.
MI’s pacers laid the platform for the win over KKR, with Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar claiming three wickets in the PowerPlay. The new-ball duo will again be tempted to fire early given LSG’s batting fragility.
MI’s latest scouting find, Ashwani Kumar, though, might get a taste of IPL’s quick turnaround, with the side likely to field Mujeeb Ur Rahman on the spin-friendly Ekana track.