IPL 2023 Predictions: LSG vs PBKS

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 18 of the Indian Premier League 2023 at Ekana Stadium, Lucknow on Saturday (April 15).

Under the captaincy of KL Rahul, LSG started has started the season well.

They won against Delhi Capitals but lost against Chennai Super Kings in their second match.

With two wins in their last two matches against Hyderabad and Bangalore, LSG are in the top three already, and would like to extend the lead.

Meanwhile, PBKS, who went off to a flying start in IPL 2023, winning the first matches have now lost two matches in a row against SRH and GT.

They are positioned seventh in the points table. They managed to score only 153 in their recent fixture against Gujarat Titans, with Matthew Short scoring 36.

Thereafter, the bowlers produced a disciplined effort to put the opposition under pressure, but the total was too small to be defended.

For PBKS, Shikhar Dhawan has been the most reliable batter.

He is the orange cap holder with 233 runs in four games.

Jitesh Sharma has been providing contributions and is expected to convert them to big scores.

However, the rest of the Punjab batters haven’t delivered and this is a matter of concern.

For LSG, KL Rahul is undergoing a rough patch, this fixture might see him making a turnaround.

Even Hooda hasn’t got going but Marcus Stones and Nicholas Pooran who smashed 62 in just 19 balls versus GT are in fine fettle.

They also have quality spinners in Amit Mishra, Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya, who can be helpful in the Lucknow pitch.

Their pace spearhead Mark Wood has picked up 9 wickets in 3 matches at an average 10.92 and and an economy of 7.36, which makes him a big threat against the fragile Punjab batting line-up.

LSG and PBKS have played just a single game against each other. The match was played during IPL 2022, in which Lucknow defeated Punjab by 20 runs.

LSG vs PBKS: Date, time

Team news

There are no new injury concerns in the LSG camp ahead of their fifth match of the season.

South African star Quinton de Kock could replace Kyle Mayers who failed to register big scores in the last two matches.

Despite joining the squad ahead of the GT clash, Liam Livingstone did not feature in the matchday squad on Thursday.

But the Englishman could make his first appearance for the team on Saturday replacing Matt Short.

The pitch at Lucknow might be favourable for the spinners, due to its slowness. The total of around 160 will be a challenging total to chase down for the team chasing the score.

LSG Possible 11:

KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers/Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi

PBKS Possible 11:

Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rishi Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh

Who will win

Lucknow Super Giants are likely to secure a victory in this game.

Even though KL Rahul hasn’t hit his stride, the rest of batters like Stoinis and Pooran have shown up.

They also have good bowling depth in terms of fast bowlers and spinners.

Punjab is too reliant on Shikhar Dhawan while their top bowlers like Arshdeep and Rabada haven’t shown their real capabilities yet.

Our team of experts predicts a win for LSG.