Match 53 - Who will win

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Match Details

Date: 07 May 2022

Time: 07:30 PM IST

Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune

Ball-by-ball commentary: SportsTiger App

Preview:

Lucknow Super Giants will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders in match number 53 of IPL 2022. It has been a contrasting season so far for Lucknow and Kolkata. While Lucknow are the new entrants and have been one of the more consistent units in this edition of the tournament with 7 wins and 3 defeats from their 10 matches, the two-time champions Kolkata have struggled for form which is the reason they find themselves in the bottom half of the points table, at the eighth position with just 4 wins from 10 matches. The two sides are set to meet at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

Pitch Report:

On the Pune wicket, batters get value for their shots. However, with the competition nearing its climax, the wickets have started to slow down a bit which means spinners might come in handy. 173 has been the average first innings score at this venue and with dew not making much impact in the second innings, especially at this venue, both teams - that which bats first as well as the chasing side - will not be at a disadvantage.

Team Analysis

Lucknow Super Giants:

The new entrants into the IPL have been led from the front by KL Rahul who has scored over 450 runs in 10 innings which includes two hundreds and as many half-centuries. It is in fact his prime form that has overshadowed the not-so-good form of his partner Quinton de Kock and other batters Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya as well as Ayush Badoni who have all shown glimpses of their potential but haven't been as consistent as their skipper.

With the team looking for 2 points to, first of all confirm their place in the final four, the form of all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder will also be critical. Meanwhile, in the bowling department, pacer Mohsin Khan has been outstanding in the last few games and has solved a lot of problems for Rahul. However, others like Dushmantha Chameera and Holder have proven expensive in a few fixtures.

Ravi Bishnoi and K Gowtham could be crucial in the middle overs.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

For Kolkata though, the problems are even worse. Their out-of-form openers haven't got going at all despite trying out several combinations. They could give the pair of Aaron Finch and Baba Indrajith another go. Captain Shreyas Iyer too hasn't been as consistent as one would have imagined given the kind of form he was in, heading into the IPL.

Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana clicked for Kolkata in their last game, in a happy news for the franchise and the two will have to continue their form in the middle order along with Andre Russell who can make a difference at this venue not only with the bat but with his slower ball variations.

Umesh Yadav, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee will lead the bowling unit and Anukul Roy is expected to get another game after his impressive show in the last match.

Match Prediction

Conclusion:

Kolkata haven't been as consistent as Lucknow and with no prior head-to-head record between these two teams and only current form to make a prediction from, one has to choose Lucknow. They have a well-settled side, unlike Kolkata who are still figuring out the right combination.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the author’s point of view. They neither reflect the opinion of SportsTiger nor advise anyone to make any prediction based on this. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility and liability for the same.