IPL 2023, LSG vs GT: Pitch report (Ekana Cricket Stadium)
Lucknow Super Giants will be squaring off against Gujarat Titans in match number 30 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium will host the fixture on April 22. This will be LSG's fourth match here and they have won two out of three till now, whereas GT will look to bounce back after the last defeat. Here's more.
How will the pitch behave?
The pitch at the Ekana Cricket Stadium is generally good for batting but the black soil pitches will offer help for new ball bowlers. Also, as the ball gets older it will also bring the spinners into play. In three matches here this season. we have seen LSG score big versus DC, a thriller against PBKS and also a low-scoring affair against SRH.
Here are the stadium stats
LSG played their debut IPL match here against DC in their campaign opener. They have done reasonably well here barring the loss against PBKS. 7.88 is the average run rate for teams batting first at this venue in the IPL. A total of 33 T20s have been played here and 17 times teams batting first have won. Teams chasing have claimed 16 victories.
More numbers regarding the venue
GT's Sai Sudharshan surprisingly is the second-highest run-scorer in T20s here. He has scored 236 runs in eight matches, slamming a fifty. While Sai Kishore is the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20s here. He has scalped nine wickets in eight matches. India's 199/2 versus SL is the highest T20 score. 10 wickets out of 16 were scalped by pacers in the last match against PBKS.
Story of these two teams in IPL 2023
LSG have lost once while batting first, that too against PBKS in their last match at home. Overall, they defended 154 against RR and have shown depth in all departments. While chasing they have faltered only once against CSK. GT have lost twice in five matches this season and both the losses against KKR and RR have come when they were defending.
Here are the probable starting XIs
LSG probable XI: KL Rahul (Captain), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wicket-keeper), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Avesh Khan, Yudhvir Singh Charak and Ravi Bishnoi. GT probable XI: Wriddhiman Saha (Wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (Captain), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma and Joshua Little.
