Lucknow Super Giants will face a struggling Chennai Super Kings outfit in Match 30 of the ongoing IPL 2025, set to take place at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday, April 14.
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Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Preview
Mentor and mentee — both under-pressure captains — find themselves leading teams at opposite ends of the spectrum, as Lucknow Super Giants lock horns with Chennai Super Kings in a clash of contrasts.
Rishabh Pant has breathing room, with LSG riding high on a three-match winning streak. In stark contrast, CSK have hit a historic low, suffering five consecutive defeats for the first time ever. The initial buzz surrounding MS Dhoni’s return as skipper has quickly faded, especially after a demoralizing loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at home just two nights ago.
While LSG have embraced a flexible batting approach and placed faith in lesser-known Indian talents like Digvesh Rathi, CSK have adhered to a rigid formula with limited room for innovation. LSG’s aggressive intent has been evident from the get-go — they haven’t lost a wicket in the powerplay for three straight matches.
CSK, meanwhile, continue to falter at the top, lacking both momentum and consistency. They are yet to have a batter break into the top 10 run-scorers; Rachin Ravindra leads their charts with just 149 runs. Not since KKR in 2014 has a team gone six games into an IPL season without a single player reaching the 150-run mark.
Nicholas Pooran has nearly matched CSK’s entire six-hitting tally on his own this season — he has cleared the ropes 31 times, while CSK as a unit have managed just 32. His explosive tempo at No. 3, coupled with Aiden Markram’s resurgence and Mitchell Marsh’s brute force, has turned LSG into one of the league’s most aggressive batting units. They blaze through the powerplay at a rate of 10.3 runs per over, in stark contrast to CSK’s sluggish 7.5 — the lowest among all teams this season. CSK’s collective strike rate of 124.23 is also the poorest in the tournament so far.
Their batting woes were laid bare in their last home game against KKR, where, according to ESPNcricinfo, they attempted to hit just 15 boundaries across the innings — the fewest by any team in an IPL match since 2023. Overall, their boundary-hitting attempt rate stands at just 38.3% of balls faced, the second-lowest this season, further highlighting their lack of intent.
Compounding their problems is their vulnerability against spin — no team has lost more wickets to spin this season than CSK. LSG, meanwhile, boast two potent options in rookie Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi, the latter finding his groove again in the previous outing. All signs point to a daunting challenge ahead for CSK, who must snap their losing streak on Monday or risk staring at early elimination halfway through the campaign.
Lucknow Super Giants have made a habit of flying starts, scoring 60 or more in the powerplay in four of their six innings so far. Their assertiveness carries into the middle overs too — they score at 10 runs per over against spin, the second-best in the competition.
Nicholas Pooran continues to be the centerpiece of their batting fireworks. Since the beginning of 2024, no player has hit more sixes than his 67. This season, his strike rate of 215 is second only to Priyansh Arya among batters with 100+ runs, underlining his match-winning explosiveness.
Meanwhile, David Miller, who now turns out for LSG, will be mindful of a familiar challenge in the form of Noor Ahmad. The left-arm spinner has dismissed Miller three times in six innings, with the South African managing a strike rate of just 54 against him — a stat LSG’s think tank might factor in for tactical decisions down the line.
While LSG have been dominant with the bat, their bowling during the powerplay remains a soft spot — their economy rate of 10.8 is the second-worst this season. However, facing a CSK top order that has struggled to gain momentum early, this could be a phase where LSG still find opportunities to strike.
MS Dhoni’s return to the captaincy brought with it a wave of déjà vu — but not the kind CSK fans were hoping for. Instead of rekindling past glories, it has echoed the struggles of 2020, a season where Dhoni famously likened his squad to a “ship full of holes.” Back then, CSK finished second-from-bottom — and worryingly, they had one more win at this stage of the tournament than they do now.
Head coach Stephen Fleming has acknowledged what many fans feared: Dhoni doesn’t have a “magic wand” to reverse the team’s fortunes overnight. CSK are stuck in a batting quagmire that demands urgent fixes, starting with their clash in Lucknow on Monday. Their most recent outing — a demoralizing home defeat — highlighted the depth of their issues. They played 61 dot balls, the same number of deliveries KKR needed to chase down the target, underscoring the stagnation in their approach.
Whether Ruturaj Gaikwad is in the XI or not, CSK’s lack of batting intent has been glaring across all five of their losses. They’ve been outplayed, outpaced, and outthought. Now, with the season slipping away, they’ll hope that the soul-searching sparked by that crushing defeat has paved the way for a much-needed reset — before it’s too late.
Khaleel Ahmed has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy campaign for CSK. His 66 dot balls in the powerplay are the second-most this season, showcasing his ability to build early pressure. If CSK are to turn things around, Khaleel’s incisive new-ball spells will be key to disrupting LSG’s in-form top order.
In IPL 2025, Nicholas Pooran has been a nightmare for bowlers of all kinds — but especially for spinners. The LSG southpaw has hammered spin at a staggering strike rate of 272.46, while still maintaining a fierce 173.11 against pace, making him one of the most dangerous middle-order batters this season.
However, both LSG and CSK have had their fair share of issues in the field and with the ball up front. The two sides hold the worst economy rates in the powerplay — CSK conceding at 10.58, closely followed by LSG at 10.72 — underlining their struggles to control games early with the ball.
Fielding hasn’t been a strong suit either. CSK have dropped 13 catches and missed 9 run-out opportunities, while LSG have been slightly better with 9 drops but have let 14 run-out chances go begging. In a match that could be decided by fine margins, sharper fielding might just tip the scales.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Head-to-Head
LSG lead 3-1 against CSK in five encounters, with one match having no result. All four completed games between the teams have been high-scoring affairs.
- Matches Played: 05
- Won by Lucknow Super Giants: 03
- Won by Chennai Super Kings: 01
- Tied: 00
- No Result: 01
- First-ever Fixture: March 31, 2022
- Most-recent Fixture: April 23, 2024
Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The average score for the team batting first at Ekana Stadium this season stands at 184. The larger ground dimensions favor spin bowlers, and teams chasing have won 6 out of the 10 games played here since the start of IPL 2024.
The square dimensions of the ground are even. After hosting PBKS on a red-soil wicket and both MI and GT on black soil, LSG will face CSK on pitch No.5 of 9, which is a mixed soil surface.
During CSK’s training session on Sunday, a strong windstorm caused the ground staff to quickly cover the pitch, keeping it under wraps for more than an hour. However, the rain stayed away, allowing the session to continue for those who were present. No rain is expected on match day either.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Team News and Predicted XI
Lucknow Super Giants – Team News
Mitchell Marsh of Lucknow Super Giants missed the previous game due to his daughter being unwell, as confirmed by Rishabh Pant. In his absence, LSG played with just three overseas players. Marsh is expected to return for Monday’s match, replacing Himmat Singh. Although LSG did not train on Sunday, Marsh is anticipated to be available for the upcoming fixture.
With no concerns over boundary dimensions for this match, LSG’s pacers should target Rachin Ravindra and test him with short-pitched deliveries — a tactic that has proven effective against him in the IPL. Ravindra has scored 97 runs off 74 short balls but has been dismissed six times by that length in IPL 2024 and 2025 combined.
Lucknow Super Giants – Predicted XI
- Aiden Markram
- Mitchell Marsh/Himmat Singh
- Nicholas Pooran
- Rishabh Pant (capt, wk)
- Ayush Badoni
- David Miller
- Abdul Samad
- Shardul Thakur
- Akash Deep
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Avesh Khan
- Digvesh Rathi
Chennai Super Kings – Team News
Matheesha Pathirana is likely to be in contention as an Impact Player for Chennai Super Kings. In their previous match against KKR, CSK had to bring in Deepak Hooda as an extra batter due to a collapse in the top order. Pathirana has a strong record against Pooran, having dismissed him four times in five innings, with an impressive average of just 6.3. Head coach Stephen Fleming addressed any injury concerns regarding Shivam Dube, clarifying that it was just a minor cramp, and the left-hander appeared to move comfortably during his net session on Sunday.
CSK was unable to use Pathirana in the last game because of their top-order collapse, but bringing him in for the Lucknow match will be crucial. Pathirana has had success against Pooran, dismissing him four times in 25 T20 deliveries while conceding just a run-a-ball.
R Ashwin also remains a viable option against Pooran, despite the West Indian’s exceptional form against spin this season and Ashwin’s own inconsistent performances. However, Ashwin may be a tempting choice, as he has dismissed Pooran three times in 43 deliveries, conceding only 40 runs in the process.
Chennai Super Kings – Team News
- Devon Conway
- Rachin Ravindra
- Rahul Tripathi
- Vijay Shankar
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- MS Dhoni (capt, wk)
- R Ashwin
- Anshul Kamboj
- Noor Ahmad
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Matheesha Pathirana
Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Players To Watch Out For
Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants)
Rishabh Pant has struggled to find form in IPL 2025, scoring only 40 runs at a strike rate of 80 across four innings. Before the previous match, his short stays at the crease hadn’t allowed much insight into his strike rate.
However, against GT, he opened the batting for the first time in T20s since 2016 but managed only 21 off 18 balls before falling to a slower delivery from Prasidh Krishna. Despite his recent struggles, his form hasn’t raised major concerns yet, as other batters have been in good touch. The question remains: can he regain his rhythm against CSK?
R Ashwin (Chennai Super Kings)
R Ashwin’s return to CSK after nearly a decade hasn’t gone as expected. He has bowled his full quota in only three of the six matches and has taken just five wickets, which is below his usual standards. He has been costly during the powerplay and death overs, conceding at 15 runs per over.
However, he does have a favorable match-up against Pooran, having dismissed him three times in eight innings, with a strike rate of 93. Despite his struggles, CSK may want to use Ashwin in the middle overs, where he concedes at a more economical 7.7 runs per over, even though Noor Ahmad has been more effective in that phase this season with 10 wickets.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings: Prediction
Scenario 1
- Toss: Lucknow Super Giants win the toss and bowl
- Powerplay Score: 40-50
- Chennai Super Kings Total: 150-170
- Match Result: Lucknow Super Giants win the match
Scenario 2
- Toss: Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl
- Powerplay Score: 50-60
- Lucknow Super Giants Total: 170-190
- Match Result: Lucknow Super Giants win the match
When and Where To Watch Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details
The Indian Premier League 2025 clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST on Monday, April 14, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and will also be available for live streaming on JioHotstar for FREE.
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