Having faced a tough start to the season, anxiety is running high for LSG and MI ahead of their clash on Friday at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. With each side having secured just one win from their opening three matches, the upcoming clash is hugely important for both sides. As the two teams come against each other, the spotlight will be on Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, both of whom have had a slow start to the season and are under immense pressure to deliver.

LSG captain Rishabh Pant, who was bought for a massive sum in the auction last year, has yet to justify his hefty price tag. This season has seen him struggle to get going. His performances so far have been below expectations. Despite the team’s struggles, Pant’s leadership is still crucial for LSG’s success.

However, with just one win from three games, the team will be looking to their captain to find form and lead from the front. Meanwhile, with Pant struggling to get runs, power-hitters Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, who have been in red-hot form, have played highly skillful knocks for the team. Other than Pant, South African batter Aiden Markram has also encountered a slow start. Nonetheless, LSG will look to make a strong statement against MI. Moreover, they have been boosted by the availability of bowler Akash Deep, who is 100 percent ready to play for the side. 

On the other side, Indian skipper and MI batter Rohit Sharma has faced similar pressure in the last three innings. His usual game has eluded him, scoring only 21 runs across three innings. MI started their campaign with back-to-back defeats but bounced back strongly in their last game against KKR, claiming an eight-wicket win. 

Talking about their batting attack, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have been the most consistent batters, with Ryan Rickelton joining the party with a blazing half-century in the last match. Their pace battery has been led by Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult, with Hardik Pandya providing the middle-over support. And their spin attack has been spearheaded by experienced Mitchell Santner. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 6

MI won - 1

LSG won - 5

Lucknow Super Giants probable XII: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c&wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi, M Siddharth

Mumbai Indians probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur, Mujeeb Ur Rahman