As the Lucknow Super Giants gear up to face the Rajasthan Royals in their IPL opener, all eyes will be on KL Rahul as the India star returns to action after recovering from a quadriceps injury. Having missed the last four Tests against England due to discomfort in his right quadriceps, Rahul’s fitness and form will be crucial not just for the LSG but also for his prospects of making it to the T20 World Cup squad.
Rahul’s absence from the playing field was significant during the later stages of LSG’s campaign last year, considering his pivotal role as both a batter and a leader for the Lucknow Super Giants. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals’ captain, Sanju Samson, is also eyeing a strong start to the season, given his similar aspirations to secure a spot in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
With a heartbreaking loss in the final of the 2022 IPL season still fresh in their memories, the Royals will be eager to make amends and put up a strong performance this time around.
Both teams face selection dilemmas as they strive to field their best XI. Rajasthan Royals boast a solid batting lineup, including the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, but may consider bolstering their middle order with the inclusion of Rovman Powell. On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants will rely heavily on Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis to lead their batting charge, supported by skipper KL Rahul.
Royals boast a solid spin department with Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal almost assured of two spots in the playing XI. For LSG, Ravi Bishnoi, who is also part of the Indian T20I team, will look to continue his impressive performance. Additionally, the side also has the services of veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
However, concerns linger over Lucknow’s pace battery, with injuries sidelining key players like Mark Wood and David Willey. Inexperienced pacers like Yash Thakur and Shivam Mavi may need to step up, while the team may also look to rely on the experience of Naveen ul Haq and the pace of Shamar Joseph.
RR likely playing XI (if batting first) Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult
RR likely playing XI (if bowling first) Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma
Impact player options Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini
LSG likely playing XI (if batting first) KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan
LSG likely playing XI (if bowling first) KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Amit Mishra
Impact player options Deepak Hooda, Amit Mishra, Krishnappa Gowtham, M Siddarth, Shivam Mavi
Head to Head
Since LSG was introduced to the Indian Premier League only in 2022, the two sides have faced off only thrice in the league so far. The Royals have won two matches against the Super Giants, but the latter defeated Samson’s men in the previous season.