Big picture: How will LSG use their home advantage?
Lucknow Super Giants have won two of the three games they have played at home this season. The two pitches, though, were very different. Against Delhi Capitals, it was a red-soil pitch where Mark Wood picked up a five-wicket haul with his blistering pace. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was a black-soil surface where the Super Giants spinners flourished. Krunal Pandya picked up three wickets and Amit Mishra claimed two. Ravi Bishnoi struck just once, but gave away just 16 runs in his four overs.
Super Giants - with Deepak Hooda as the fourth option - have more depth in the spin department than Gujarat Titans, who have largely relied on just one spinner - Rashid Khan - this season, and banked more on their pace attack. This may tempt Super Giants to opt for another slow turner. That said, Rashid ran through Super Giants with four wickets the last time these two teams met. While Rashid hasn't quite been his miserly self in IPL 2023, he has been among the wickets: he has a strike rate of 10.9 this season compared to 20.1 last season and his IPL career strike rate of 18.8.
Of the other spinners, Titans did play Rashid's compatriot, the left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, in the loss against Rajasthan Royals, where he bowled 2.2 overs. Rahul Tewatia has not bowled a single delivery this season.
Wood missed Super Giants' last game with illness, and his availability may also determine the kind of track they prepare against a team that they lost to twice last season - including the first ever game both the franchises played in the IPL.
Form guide
Lucknow Super Giants WLWWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Titans LWLWW
Gujarat Titans team director Vikram Solanki on why the think tank went in with Noor Ahmad for the game against Rajasthan Royals
Team news: Is Wood good to go?
Mark Wood's illness is the only fitness concern for Super Giants. Titans have no injury worries, though Hardik Pandya's workload is always a matter of interest.
Impact Player strategy
Lucknow Super Giants: While batting first, Super Giants have started with Ayush Badoni and subbed either him or Kyle Mayers out for Mishra. But when they have suffered a collapse, K Gowtham has been used as the Impact Player to shore up the batting. While bowling first, Mishra starts and Badoni comes in as the substitute when they bat.
Probable XII: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers/Quinton de Kock, 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Krunal Pandya, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Yudhvir Singh, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Naveen-ul-Haq/Mark Wood, 12 Amit Mishra
Gujarat Titans: Titans have been happy to start with three overseas players while batting first, with one of Josh Little or Noor coming in as the Impact Player in the second innings. They have, however, stuck to starting with four overseas players while chasing, with Vijay Shankar likely to be subbed in.
Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 Josh Little/Noor Ahmad
Moody feels they need to be flexible to ensure Stoinis and Pooran aren't held back too late
Stats that matter
Hardik has faced Krunal in two games, both coming in the IPL last year, and scored ten runs off 13 deliveries while being dismissed once.
Nicholas Pooran's strike rate of 63 against Rashid is the lowest for any batter in T20s who has faced at least 40 deliveries from Rashid.
Super Giants have taken 19 wickets in the last five overs this season, the highest for any team. Their economy of 9.7 in this phase is the joint second-best in the league.
Quotes
"Vijay, who battled last season a little bit, he wanted to come back and prove that he is a player to be reckoned with. He got himself in great physical condition and his training and work ethic at the nets has been second to none."
Gary Kirsten on Vijay Shankar's improved form in IPL 2023
