Home form a concern as LSG bank on momentum against GT
Lucknow Super Giants may have unearthed a new star in Mukul Choudhary, but their poor home record remains a major concern as they host Gujarat Titans in their Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday.
Both teams head into the contest on the back of morale-boosting away wins.
GT sealed a thrilling one-run victory over Delhi Capitals for their first win of the season, while LSG registered two impressive wins on the road against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, LSG have struggled to turn the Ekana Cricket Stadium into a fortress.
They lost six of their eight matches here last season, including five in a row, en route to a seventh-place finish, and overall, have managed just nine wins from 22 games at the venue.
This season too, they started with a batting collapse at home, getting bowled out for 141 in the six-wicket loss to DC.
With this being only their second home game this year, LSG will be desperate to set the record straight.
The team, though, will not be short on confidence after back-to-back away wins.
The last outing against KKR was particularly special, marking the emergence of a new ‘finisher’ in Mukul.
The unheralded 21-year-old from Rajasthan lit up the stage with a stunning six-hitting display, powered by lightning bat speed and a wide range of strokes, including the trademark helicopter shot of his idol, MS Dhoni, to emerge as the latest IPL sensation.
Another positive is the return to form of Ayush Badoni, who struck a half-century against KKR to set up the chase.
Badoni being among runs adds depth to an already formidable top-five featuring Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, skipper Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran.
With this being an afternoon match, the contest against Gujarat’s spin duo of Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar on a surface expected to be slow and offer variable bounce could prove decisive.
Rashid has been back to his best in the previous game against DC, returning with Player-of-the-Match figures of 3/17 that made the difference in their one-run win.
Amid criticism that opposition batters had begun to decode his variations, Rashid responded strongly with a vintage display in the middle overs, with his wickets including that of Delhi’s breakout star Sameer Rizvi for a golden duck after three successive fifties.
There has also been positive news on the batting front for GT, with England veteran Jos Buttler returning to form with a 27-ball 52, while skipper Shubman Gill marked his comeback from injury with a sparkling 70 at the top.
