Hit by injuries to skipper KL Rahul and seamer Jaydev Unadkat, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) would be wary of Chennai Super Kings' ability to bounce back when the two sides face each other in an Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday.
LSG would also be facing the heat after failing to chase down a meagre total of 126 in their own den, getting bundled out for just 108 in 19.5 overs by Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.
Rahul sustained an injury on his right thigh during the match against RCB here on Monday, while Unadkat slipped badly while bowling at the nets, resulting in a nasty fall on Sunday.
The extent of both injuries is yet to be ascertained but Rahul came out to bat at No 11 in LSG's unsuccessful run chase, facing three balls without opening account. His inclusion in the LSG team for Wednesday's match is doubtful.
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Players like Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, and Krunal Pandya have chipped in individually as well as collectively in previous games to keep the Lucknow franchise afloat while skipper Rahul has not been at his best after the two half-centuries (74 against Punjab Kings and 68 against Gujarat Titans).
Though CSK are coming off consecutive losses to Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, their ability to bounce back can never be underestimated.
With the tactical acumen of Dhoni playing a vital role in most of their victories this season, the former India captain could exploit the situation, especially if Rahul does not play on Wednesday.
CSK will once again lean heavily on their New Zealand opener Devon Conway, who has been in the form of his life, scoring 414 runs from nine matches at an average of 59.14 and strike rate of 144.25.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ajinkya Rahane are players with big-match temperament and can fire on any given day, while the Sri Lankan duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana have been potent weapons in CSK's bowling arsenal, not to forget Moeen Ali and Jadeja.
Much will depend on who leads LSG on the field on Wednesday. RCB felt the absence of Rahul for a major part of the game against RCB on Monday, and CSK can also exploit the same situation if he sits out on Wednesday.
The Teams
Lucknow Super Giants
KL Rahul (c), Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Quinton de Kock, Krishnappa Gowtham, Arpit Guleria, Deepak Hooda, Prerak Mankad, Kyle Mayers, Amit Mishra, Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Daniel Sams, Karan Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh.
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni (c/wk), Akash Singh, Moeen Ali, Bhagath Varma, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Matheesha Pathirana, Dwaine Pretorius, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Ben Stokes, Maheesh Theekshana.
