Following a gripping last-over thriller in Jaipur, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) arrive back at their home ground with swagger and ready to face Delhi Capitals (DC). LSG, however, have been inconsistent throughout the season but managed to score 10 points from eight matches and are proceeding well into the playoffs. A quietly efficient bowling attack boasting Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur has been a major reason behind their success. His performances in the 18th and the 20th overs have been crucial for Avesh, especially a couple of weeks back, since when the group earned its two-run win against the Rajasthan Royals.
But LSG keeps its major concern about the underwhelming form of a star wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant. Pant, barring a half-century against Chennai Super Kings, has not really come up to the INR 27 crore price tag he carries. Pant comes up against a strong Delhi bowling unit, and against Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, and Mukesh Kumar will come under pressure.
Delhi Capitals, however, have some other problems to deal with as well. Without Faf du Plessis, however, their opening combination is thrown into chaos and the likes of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel and Karun Nair have also been rotated at the top. Despite that, KL Rahul’s resurgence in the middle-order has been much-needed stability. Rahul will be returning to Ekana Stadium, where he won three seasons of LSG as a captain, and hopes to maintain his fine form wearing Delhi colours.
While Axar Patel has turned in a captaincy performance and scored 140 runs at a strike rate of 159, his bowling has suffered, with only one wicket in seven matches, plus the leakage. He will be back, and DC might need him to reskill in order to sum up their attack.
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