Lucknow Super Giants v Punjab Kings IPL Tips: Punjab to finally be put out of their misery

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Saturday 23 May,15:00
TV: Sky Sports

Lucknow Super Giants v Punjab Kings IPL team news

Lucknow Super Giants' season has been bitterly disappointing. But the dye was cast early on when there was a chopping and changing of batting order. We should always look for settled selection with players given clearly defined roles.

Even at this stage of the campaign we're not entirely sure who plays and where. Aiden Markram was deemed surplus to requirements against Rajasthan. LSG picked only three overseas with a genuine bowler at No 8. Digvesh Rathi subbed in for Josh Inglis..

Possible XI: Marsh, Inglis, Pooran, Pant, Samad, Badoni, Shahbaz, Mohsin, Mayank, Akash, Prince

Punjab Kings' collapse has continued. An extraordinary run of six consecutive defeats means that a play-off spot is now out of their hands. A win for Rajasthan against Mumbai in their final match will end a campaign for Punjab which, at one stage, looked destined to end in another run to the final.

The main issue Punjab have faced is their inability to keep things tight in the field. They have hurtled towards bottom spot in the economy standards. That in turn puts pressure on batters who want to be gung-ho. But how can they play with freedom when they know that 220 is not going to be enough?

Panic set in with selection and a settled, confident side became a husk. In defeat by RCB last time Lockie Ferguson came back into the team after playing only two matches.

Possible XI: Arya, Prab Singh, Connolly, Shreyas, Shedge, Stoinis (sub Chahal), Shashank, Azmatullah, Harpreet, Ferguson, Arshdeep  

Lucknow Super Giants v Punjab Kings IPL pitch report

The baffling trend for the Lucknow surface to get better for batters after heavy traffic over a season continued in the last game against Chennai. CSK only posted 187 but that LSG chased with 20 balls to spare further reinforced the view that this is one for the batters. In the game before both teams busted 200 as LSG held off RCB.

It doesn't make any sense at all why a pitch would get easier to bat on. The previous four first-innings saw no team bust more than 164. It would be perfectly reasonable to be playing unders on the runs lines with that record. Indeed, extreme unders even for cheap lays on the Exchange at 120-140.

If the late-season trend is to hold then Punjab's total match runs at 183.5 does look cheap. They can still hit pretty well even if they have been usurped from top spot on batting strike rate by Sunrisers.

Lucknow Super Giants v Punjab Kings match prediction

Sportsbook rate Lucknow outsiders at 6/52.20. The Exchange in an early show has them as big as 2.3811/8. We're inclined to reckon that the latter is toppy.

Since Lucknow were confirmed as not troubling the play-off places they have played with the sort of freedom that Punjab can presumably only envy. Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis have just come out and smashed it.

Often LSG look toothless in the field, which is strange. They have boasted the best economy in the powerplay.

That is another reason to reckon they are value here. If they can squeeze the Punjab openers, who want to go berserk, then it could get very messy, very quickly. Punjab's faith in the style and tactics is now non-existent and they could throw in the towel.

Lucknow Super Giants v Chennai Super Kings player bets

Ruturak Gaikwad is coming back towards the win zone for top bat. There's nothing wrong with taking some of the 11/43.75, particularly if this proves to be flat.

If you're on the other side of the fence Dube always wins at least once a year and with him still recording a blank in the tops column, the 8/19.00 can be of interest.

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