MATCH 60
April 22, 2026 · 3:30 PM IST
BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium
Lucknow Super Giants face the SRH batting machine at Ekana — the long boundaries here should help slow down Head and Klaasen compared to Hyderabad.
Venue & Pitch Analysis — BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Ekana is one of IPL's largest venues with long boundaries (75m). The pitch is balanced but slows as innings progress, bringing spinners in from over 8 onwards. 165-175 is a competitive first-innings total.
- Average 1st innings score: 165 runs
- Average 2nd innings score: 158 runs
- Pitch type: Balanced
- Toss preference: Balanced; toss winner will assess conditions before deciding
LSG remained unbeaten in their first home IPL season (2022) at Ekana — a remarkable record.
Probable Playing XIs
LSG
- Nicholas Pooran (WK) ©
- Quinton de Kock (WK)
- Devdutt Padikkal (BAT)
- Ayush Badoni (BAT)
- Marcus Stoinis (AR)
- Krunal Pandya (AR)
- Ravi Bishnoi (BOWL)
- Yash Thakur (BOWL)
- Mohsin Khan (BOWL)
- Matt Henry (BOWL)
- Deepak Hooda (AR)
SRH
- Travis Head (BAT)
- Abhishek Sharma (BAT)
- Aiden Markram (AR)
- Heinrich Klaasen (WK)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy (AR)
- Pat Cummins (BOWL) ©
- Washington Sundar (AR)
- Jaydev Unadkat (BOWL)
- T Natarajan (BOWL)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (BOWL)
- Adam Zampa (BOWL)
Head-to-Head Record
Sunrisers Hyderabad lead the all-time head-to-head 4–3 from 7 meetings, though LSG will look to close the gap on home soil.
Key Battles to Watch
- Nicholas Pooran vs Pat Cummins: Pooran is in sublime touch this season and will be keen to dominate against Cummins, who will try to keep things tight in the powerplay.
- Travis Head vs Ravi Bishnoi: Head is SRH's most explosive batter and Bishnoi has the pace to trouble them. Whoever wins this duel often decides the match.
- Marcus Stoinis vs Nitish Kumar Reddy: The all-rounder battle — both Stoinis and Reddy can change games with bat and ball. Their contributions in the middle overs will be critical.
Match Prediction
Balanced conditions at Lucknow mean either team could dominate. Powerplay performance will be crucial. Sport God AI rates this match as too close to call. Both teams have the firepower to win from any position.
- Predicted 1st innings total: 160–173 runs
- Likely match winner: Too close to call
- Toss call: Field first — chase the target with dew assistance
Fantasy Cricket Picks
- Captain (2×): Nicholas Pooran — in top form and perfectly suited to these Lucknow conditions.
- Vice-Captain (1.5×): Marcus Stoinis — capable of winning the match almost single-handedly with bat or ball.
- Differential pick: Pat Cummins — could be a match-winner if conditions assist the bowlers in the powerplay.
- Safe pick: Ravi Bishnoi — consistent performer who earns points in every game regardless of venue.
- Budget pick: Matt Henry — lower price point but high ceiling in these conditions.
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