IPL 2025: Pant Under Scrutiny as LSG Takes on KKR
It is a battle of two mid-teams in the points table
The fortunes of Lucknow SuperGiants and Kolkata Knight Riders couldn't be more similar. Both have been impressive and under par, in parts in IPL 2025. Both have won two matches and lost two matches each. And both are somewhere in the middle of the points table --- 5 & 6, to be precise.
So when two seemingly even-matched teams spar, the expectation is high. And all eyes will be on the under scrutiny LSG captain Rishabh Pant, the costliest player in this year's IPL, who has been poor with the bat. There has not been even one good innings from him, and it has added pressure on the other batters.
But luckily for LSG, Mitchell Marsh has been in scintillating form with the bat at the top. And Nicholas Pooran, the wicket-keeper, has been in blazing touch --- three 50s in four innings --- adding firepower to LSG's batting. Shardul Thakur, with seven wickets this season, has been LSG's standout bowler.
For KKR, its captain Ajinkya Rahane will look to anchor the innings and provide stability at the top. Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner has been in excellent form, consistently picking up wickets in the middle overs. Andre Russell, known for his explosive batting and handy bowling, can be a game-changer for KKR. Though this season he has not fired so far. But Venky Iyer came good in the last match against SRH, and so did Rinku Singh.
KKR suffered defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians but bounced back with commanding victories over Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The last match saw it dismantle Sunrisers Hyderabad by 80 runs.
LSG has also had an up-and-down season, winning two out of its four games. It comes into this match on the back of a thrilling 12-run victory over Mumbai Indians, where Mitchell Marsh's quickfire 60 and Digvesh Singh's economical spell were the highlights.
LSG and KKR have faced each other five times since 2022. LSG leads the head-to-head record with three wins, while KKR has won twice. However, KKR claimed both victories in their encounters last season. The Eden Gardens pitch is traditionally batter-friendly, offering a flat surface that enables free stroke play.
Probable Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
Lucknow SuperGiants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rishabh Pant (c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan.
