The IPL 2022 season has come very close to its business end. All the teams are looking to seal a spot for the playoffs. The tournament is going down to the wire. The Lucknow Super Giants will be keen on getting a victory and finishing in the 2nd position. However, in the past few games, their batting has let them down. The LSG management will be eyeing the 2nd spot as that gives them two opportunities to qualify for the final. Gautam Gambhir in an interview said that he wants his boys to be ruthless. Lucknow will have to step up in this crunch situation and show immense character.
Kolkata on the other hand can only manage to get 14 points at the maximum. They will also be keen to finish this season on a high note. With 14 points, surely, they will not qualify but a high finish will boost the management’s confidence for next season. Here is an in-depth look at the predictions, analysis, and a preview of the game:
IPL 2022, KKR VS LSG Match Details:
- Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
- Match 66, KKR vs LSG
- Date & Time: May 18, 7:30 PM
IPL 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders: Analysis.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have been marred by poor batting by top Indian performers. Players like Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer have left the team down. Kolkata had made a big investment in both these players. Venkatesh Iyer is facing the blues of the sophomore year and many teams have figured out a way to deal with him. Nitish Rana has been on and off-color and consistency isn’t present. Shreyas Iyer was expected to be a rock at number 3 but that too hasn’t worked very well. His weakness against the short ball is very evident. Hope this champion works on that and makes an astounding comeback.
Their batting and bowling are pretty much carried by Andre Russell. But one man cannot win an entire tournament for a team. It has to be a team effort. Varun Chakravarthy was their retention and isn’t finding a place in the first 11. They also need to back players. Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, and Venkatesh Iyer are examples of players who were dropped as soon as their performances went down.
Kolkata Knight Riders Expected 11:
Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (C), Sam Billings, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy.
IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants: Analysis.
The case of the Lucknow Super Giants is very simple to understand. The team has been mighty impressive throughout the season but is failing to give the knockout punch and seal a spot in the final 4. The team was on a roll in the initial stage of the league. Their batting was a cumulative effort by KL, Hooda, Badoni, De Kock, and Stonis. But since the past few games, it is only Hooda who has been firing and that has cost them. The team looks over-reliant on all-rounders. This is exactly the reason why there was a collapse of the batting in the game against Gujarat.
Their bowling looks very sorted with Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Jason Holder, and Dushmantha Chameera forming a formidable quartet. These pacers are making life hell for the batters. All the bowlers are tall and get the extra zip from the pitch. They can generate above-average bounce. All the pacers are clocking above 140. The spin department is held by Bishnoi and Krunal. Some overs by Deepak Hooda also get added. They look very sorted but are let down by their batting.
Lucknow Super Giants Expected Playing XI:
KL Rahul (C), Quinton De Kock, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stonis, Jason Holder, Dushmantha Chameera, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan.
IPL 2022: MI VS SRH Probable Top Performers:
Probable Best Batter of the Match: Venkatesh Iyer.
Venkatesh Iyer is expected to be the best batter today. Iyer showed signs of great form against the Mumbai Indians. The case of Venky is very curious. He burst on the scene last year after dominating for the latter half of the season. He was immediately drafted into the national team. Currently, Venky is in the sophomore year of international cricket and teams have started figuring out ways to get him out. But Venky being a smart cricketer has found ways to hang in the crease. And it’s just a matter of time before he begins dominating again.
Probable Best Bowler of the Match: Avesh Khan.
Avesh Khan, the pacer of Lucknow is expected to have a good game. Avesh is keen on making a strong case for himself on the national team. He belongs to the batch of Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan. He alongside Khaleel Ahmed was the reason why that U-19 team reached the final back in 2016. Avesh doesn’t have an unreal pace but he has got the variations required for the shortest format. He has the slower one, the yorker, the cutters, and even the knuckleball. He can out-fox the batsmen. A thinking bowler Avesh is certainly a prospect for the Indian national team for the South Africa tour of India in 2022.
IPL 2022: KKR VS LSG Head-to-Head Stats:
- Matches played – 1
- KKR won 0
- LSG won 1
IPL 2022: KKR vs LSG: Winning Prediction:
LSG to win the match.
The Lucknow Super Giants have previously beaten the Kolkata Knight Riders in the initial stage of the league. The team also has found its perfect balance. With the kind of intent that Gautam Gambhir, the Lucknow team mentor said that he wants his boys to be ruthless, it is expected that the Lucknow batters will come out all-guns-blazing. Their batting has been the one that has let them down in the last few games and it is time that they step up.
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