IPL 2024, Match 57: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants Match Preview

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is slowly reaching the business end and SRH and LSG are two of the teams jostling for spots in the top four. Both teams are coming off losses and would be desperate to get back on the winning track as the race to the playoffs heats up. Sunrisers are placed at No. 4 on the points table, with six wins and five losses from 11 games. Lucknow are placed right below them at No. 5, with an identical win-loss record but an inferior net run rate (NRR). 

SRH will be playing their last three games of the season at their home ground. They have been arguably the most formidable batting side in the tournament. Travis Head is the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament, having amassed 444 runs in 10 innings at an average of 44.40 and a strike rate of 189.74. Abhishek Sharma had a fantastic start to the season but his performances have dipped in recent games. Heinrich Klaasen, meanwhile, has been in scintillating form, scoring 339 runs from 11 games at an average of 42.38 and a strike rate of 186.26.

T Natarajan has been the standout bowler for SRH. The left-arm pacer has bagged 15 wickets in nine matches at an average of 21.29. He has bowled some excellent overs at the death and has a strike rate of 19. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and skipper Pat Cummins have also given some solid performances in some of the games. However, the absence of a quality spinner is visible.

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Lucknow's star performer with the bat has been captain KL Rahul. He hasn't looked at his mesmerising best but has managed to accumulate 431 runs from 11 innings at an average of 39.18 and a strike rate of 141.31. Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis has played some fantastic knocks, including the match-winning century against Chennai Super Kings that helped LSG track down a daunting 211-run target in Chennai. In 11 matches, he has scored 352 runs at an average of 39.11 and has a strike rate of 153.71. The Australian cricketer has also bagged four wickets in seven innings.

Ravi Bishnoi's abysmal form has hurt Lucknow's campaign this season. Yash Thakur and Naveen-ul-Haq have bowled well in patches, picking up 11 wickets from nine matches and 10 wickets from seven matches. Krunal Pandya has managed only five wickets from 11 matches but has been relatively economical, conceding runs at 7.63 per over.

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Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has been a paradise for the batters this season. In the four games that have been played this season, 213 is the average first innings score. Three out of the four games have been won by teams batting first. In the last two games, captains who won the toss chose to bat first and it paid dividends. Batting first could be a good option but posting a target in excess of 200 would be crucial. Anything less than 200 could be a cakewalk if the surface is similar to the ones that the colossal venue has offered in IPL 2024.

SRH vs LSG Probable Playing XI

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Mayank Agarwal was brought back into the side in place of Anmolpreet Singh in SRH's last game against Mumbai Indians. However, the move didn't work as the veteran batter departed cheaply. If the pitch turns out to be a belter, Sunrisers could opt to bolster their bowling resources and recall Mayank Markande. Rest of the team should remain unchanged.

Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat

Impact Player: T Natarajan

Lucknow Super Giants:

Lucknow suffered a shambolic 98-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders in the last game. 19-year-old Arshin Kulkarni came in as the Impact Player and opened alongside KL Rahul but failed to make a mark once again. However, LSG will want to give the talented youngster a longer rope before looking for replacements. Mayank Yadav was ruled out of the last match due to injury. If he recovers in time, he would come in for Yudhvir Singh Charak, who played his first match of the season in the last game.

Predicted XI: 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

Head-to-Head Record