Ind T20 League 2023

Match 45: LUC vs CHE

Preview

Lucknow (LUC) will face Chennai (CHE) in match number 45 of the Indian T20 League 2023 at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday, May 3. LUC is placed at third and CHE is positioned at fourth in the league standings. Expect a highly competitive game with both teams desperately eyeing a win. 

The hosts have suffered a massive injury blow ahead of the crunch game. Skipper KL Rahul, who hurt his hip flexor while fielding in the last game against BLR is highly doubtful for Wednesday. Apart from him, pace bowler Jaydev Unadkat is another notable name set to miss the forthcoming game due to shoulder injury. Unadkat’s loss is however not as huge as KL since Rahul is not only the skipper of the team but also their second leading run scorer this season. It will be interesting to see who replaces the prolific run scorer at the top of the order. LUC will also be eager to shrug off the BLR loss and start afresh. In their most recent tie, LUC batters failed big time as they were ripped apart to pieces in hapless manner. Chasing a partly 127 for victory, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually fell short by 18 runs. Even without KL, LUC possess enough firepower in their batting prowess capable enough to take on any bowling attack on their day. The likes of Pooran and Stoinis will need to shoulder the batting responsibility and play with intent. In the bowling department, LUC possess the spin pair of Amit Mishra and Ravi Bishnoi, who will enjoy bowling on this wicket. Avesh Khan and Yash Thakur are the two pacers in this attack. 

Stoinis and Mayers can also prove handy with their clever pace deceptions on this track. 

CHE have lost their last two games against RAJ and PUN respectively. While the RAJ victory could be seen as a lapse in concentration, the following loss against PUN was tough to digest. A loss defending 200 runs is always heart wrenching but to lose in the final ball is agonising. In the last game against PUN, the men in yellow posted a formidable total of 200 batting first. Dhawan and co chased down the target in the final ball to extend their winless streak to two games. With the fortress Chepauk being breached, the former champions will now look to win away games starting from Wednesday. They have the quality in their lineup to turn things around with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Ajinkya Rahanem and Devon Conway. The intimidating spin attack of CHE will also benefit from the playing conditions at Ekana. Ahead of this high octane clash, let us have a look at how the two teams fare out on Wednesday. 

Match Details

Match: LUC vs CHE, 45th Match, Indian T20 League 2023

Date: Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Time: 3:30 PM

Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

Pitch and Weather Report

The pitch at the Ekana stadium is bowling friendly, providing equal assistance to both pacers and spinners. Dew will play a crucial role in this match. The team that wins the toss is likely to bowl first, as chasing is comparatively easier here. 

There is a 24% chance of range with temperature expected to be around the range of 21-27 degree celsius. 

LUC vs CHE Squads

LUC: KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Amit Mishra, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Daniel Sams, Quinton de Kock, Prerak Mankad, Avesh Khan, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Arpit Guleria, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Karan Sharma

CHE: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Singh, Dwaine Pretorius, Subhranshu Senapati, RS Hangargekar, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Bhagath Varma, Nishant Sindhu

LUC vs CHE Probable Playing XIs

LUC: Kyle Mayers, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krishnappa Gowtham, Naveen ul Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Amit Mishra, Yash Thakur

CHE: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh, Matheesha Pathirana

Match Prediction

The hosts have a terrible record at home. They will be keen to open their account at Ekana. CHE on the other will look to get their campaign back on track. Looking at the balance and depth with the squads, we back the visitors to get the job done. 

Top Fantasy Picks

Krunal Pandya: The exciting all rounder was impressive in the last game. Despite being wicketless, Pandya showed positive signs with ball in hand and was highly economical. He also played promise during his 11 ball stay at the crease. 

Marcus Stoinis: The Australian international is enjoying a purple patch with bat in hand. With 229 runs in 9 innings, he is the third highest run getters for LUC this season. 

Devon Conway: The opening batter is in supreme form this season, aggregating 414 runs in 9 innings. He scored an unbeaten 92 in the last game against PUN. 

Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja will be smacking his lips to bowl on this track. His immense control and ability to vary pace makes him a potential threat at this wicket.  

Risky Captaincy Choice

Krishnappa Gowtham had a good outing against BLR. He will look to continue his good show with another clinical all round show. Gowtham has played for CHE in the past and this will give him a little psychological advantage on Wednesday. 

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