Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) may be out of the playoff race, but they still have one last act to play—potential party poopers to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) hopes of sealing a top-two finish. The task for RCB is straightforward: beat LSG and qualify for Qualifier 1. But for Pant’s men, it’s all about finishing the season on a high at home, ending on a note that gives the fans something to cheer about.
LSG broke a four-match losing streak with a composed win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad and now return to Lucknow, where conditions have been unpredictable. While their batting unit finally fired together, the return home brings new challenges. For captain Rishabh Pant, whose own season has been underwhelming with the bat, this is also a final chance to rediscover some rhythm ahead of his red-ball duties with Team India.
Aiden Markram unavailable; Aryan Juyal or Matthew Breetzke in line for debut
One of the big selection questions for LSG is who replaces Aiden Markram, who has returned to South Africa to prepare for the WTC final. In contention are two contrasting options—uncapped domestic batter Aryan Juyal and South African wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Breetzke.
Juyal, a top-order batter from UP (so a local lad), boasts strong recent domestic form and could be handed a debut in front of his home crowd. His numbers speak volumes:
| Tournament | Format | Runs | Inns | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranji Trophy | FC | 714 | 10 | 79.33 | 56.71 |
| Vijay Hazare | 50-over | 238 | 5 | 59.50 | 89.14 |
| UP T20 League | T20 | 216 | 3 | 108.00 | 162.41 |
Alternatively, Breetzke offers a more experienced and like-for-like overseas option. The South African right-hander was in sizzling touch earlier this year during the bilateral series in Pakistan just before the ODI Champions Trophy.
| Opponent | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NZ | 10 Feb | 150 (148) |
| PAK | 12 Feb | 83 (84) |
Digvesh Rathi returns from suspension
On the bowling front, Digvesh Singh Rathi is available again after serving a one-match suspension. The left-arm spinner is expected to slot straight back into the XI, especially with LSG likely to exploit RCB’s spin vulnerability. LSG have been the most dominant batting unit against spin this season—861 runs at a strike rate of 158.33 and just 18 wickets lost.
LSG Predicted Playing XI vs RCB
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Aryan Juyal/ Matthew Breetzke ✈️ | Top-order Batter |
| 2. | Mitchell Marsh ✈️ | Top-order Batter |
| 3. | Nicholas Pooran ✈️ | Middle-order Batter |
| 4. | Rishabh Pant (c/wk) | Middle-order Batter/WK |
| 5. | Ayush Badoni | Middle-order Batter |
| 6. | Abdul Samad | Finisher |
| 7. | Shardul Thakur | Aryan Juyal/Matthew Breetzke ✈️ |
| 8. | Digvesh Singh Rathi | Spinner |
| 9. | Avesh Khan | Pacer |
| 10. | Akash Deep | Pacer |
| 11. | William O’Rourke ✈️ | Overseas Pacer |
| Impact Sub | Akash Singh | Left-arm Pacer |
