A struggling Punjab Kings, two wins and two losses after 4 video games, will look to show the tide when it takes on a buoyant Lucknow Super Giants, second within the factors desk, on the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday.
A facet brimming with all-rounders, Super Giants have depth in batting and bowling with the likes of Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda within the XI.
The type of pacer Avesh Khan shall be a priority for LSG. He has three wickets in as many video games at an economic system fee of 11. However, Mark Wood’s fiery kind — he’s second within the Purple Cap race — with the ball will soothe captain KL Rahul’s nerves.
On the opposite hand, Punjab has a lot to ponder. T20 outcomes are sometimes influenced by how groups deal with the center overs, a section of play the place the Kings have faltered within the final two video games. The presence of power-hitter Liam Livingstone may help shake off the form of inertia that had set in between overs 7 and 16 towards the Gujarat Titans — PBKS made 52 within the PowerPlay however reached 100 within the sixteenth over. However, the English allrounder is unlikely to play towards Lucknow after skipper Shikhar Dhawan confirmed that Livingstone pulled a muscle at Punjab Kings coaching earlier than the GT recreation and is more likely to be obtainable in one other “3-4 days”.
But PBKS will take coronary heart from the truth that its bowlers had been capable of flip, what appeared like a simple chase for GT, right into a last-over thriller. But it continues to be the facet with the worst economic system fee on the dying (13.11) and is up towards a group, during which Nicholas Pooran walked out with the Super Giants needing 114 from 56 balls in pursuit of 213 towards RCB and smashed a 19-ball 62 with seven sixes and 4 fours.
Pooran has been in nice kind, however Kagiso Rabada can show to be a difficult matchup. In 31 balls to Pooran, he has conceded 39 and received him out twice.
Another key ingredient which does leap out from the LSG batting is the distribution of left-handers via the highest six, with Kyle Mayers (opening the batting) there aside from Krunal at No.4 and Pooran at No. 6. It poses an attention-grabbing quandary for the Kings, who may use Rahul Chahar as Impact Player. Krunal and Pooran could be versatile with their batting place and therefore can take down the SLA spin of Harpreet Brar and the leg spin of Chahar.
Meanwhile, LSG has been sensible in utilizing its residence circumstances. Against Delhi Capitals, it performed on a red-soil floor and unleashed Mark Wood. It then dished out a black-soil floor towards a right-hand-heavy SRH and performed its troika of spinners. Hence, the selection of taking part in floor shall be of a lot curiosity.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com