Chennai Super Kings face a must-win clash against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League on Sunday, as they look to strengthen their bid for a top-four finish despite an inconsistent season. The match is scheduled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Sixth-placed CSK enter this fixture with 5 wins from 10 games, while Lucknow languish at the bottom of the table with only 3 victories. The hosts return to Chepauk, where conditions have shifted from extreme spin-friendly to more balanced batting tracks, though spinners still play a key role. Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad could be pivotal for Chennai in the middle overs.
Sanju Samson has been the backbone of CSK’s batting this season, providing consistent starts and anchoring the innings. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad regained form earlier this month with unbeaten knocks of 74 and 67, though he failed in the last outing against Delhi Capitals, where Samson remained unbeaten on a match-winning 87 off 52 balls. The middle order, featuring Dewald Brevis, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, and Shivam Dube, will need to step up in the death overs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains sidelined with a calf injury and has not featured in the playing eleven.
Lucknow Super Giants are enduring a disastrous campaign. Captain Rishabh Pant has struggled to justify his record price tag, showing only flashes of brilliance, such as a 32 off 10 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, Mitchell Marsh’s stunning 111 off 56 balls in a nine-run win over RCB ended a six-match losing streak and kept LSG’s slim playoff hopes alive. Nicholas Pooran is expected to play a key role in the middle overs. The bowling attack is led by Mohammed Shami, supported by Prince Yadav and spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Digvesh Singh Rathi. Injuries to Josh Inglis and Mohsin Khan have further hampered the team.
Head-to-head, Lucknow hold a slender 3-2 lead in six meetings since 2022 (one match abandoned). CSK’s highest score against LSG is 217 for 7 (2023), while LSG’s best is 213 for 4 (2024).
Predicted Playing XIs:
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Overton, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Mukesh Choudhary.
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (captain & wicketkeeper), Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav.