With a spot in the playoff spots on the line, the Lucknow Super Giants lock horns against the Delhi Capitals in what promises to be an intriguing battle at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
LSG have been in fine form this season, notching up wins consistently to place themselves third in the points table. However, they can't afford to be complacent against the struggling Delhi franchise who would be desperate to kickstart their campaign.
The two sides have faced off thrice before in IPL history with Lucknow having a unanimous 3-0 record over Delhi. However, with both teams fielding a strong lineup, past encounters may not necessarily dictate the outcome on Friday.
Predicted XIs
LSG are likely to back their consistent first choice lineup featuring the likes of Rahul, de Kock, Stoinis, Pandya brothers amongst others. Pooran has been in ominous touch lower down and will look to inflict more damage.
For Delhi, Warner and Shaw are set to open with Pant leading from the front. All eyes will also be on Mitchell Marsh who has the ability to turn the match on its head. Their pace battery of Khaleel, Mukesh and Ishant will pose threats.
Head to Head
Delhi will draw motivation from their zero wins against LSG so far. However, with the tournament only reaching halftime, there is all to play for and upsets have been a regular feature.
Key Battle
With the bat, it will be a fascinating battle to watch Pooran and his free-flowing game against the accuracy of Khaleel and Mukesh. With the ball, Bishnoi vs Warner could provide fireworks.
Weather and Pitch Factors
No rains are predicted and the temperatures are expected to be around the 35 degrees mark throughout the course of the match. The pitch has assisted both bat and ball in the previous two encounters here.
