Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 26th match of IPL 2025. This game will be played on Saturday afternoon, April 12, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
GT Aim for Fifth Straight Win
To begin with, Lucknow enter this match with strong momentum. They have won two matches in a row—against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans have shown great consistency. After losing their first match to Punjab Kings, they bounced back quickly. Since then, they have beaten Mumbai Indians, RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals.
As a result, GT now sit at the top of the points table with 8 points from five matches.
Key Players Shine for Both Teams
So far, Gujarat’s batting unit has looked solid. Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, and Sherfane Rutherford have all played important innings. Additionally, bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, R Sai Kishore, and Prasidh Krishna have created pressure with their tight spells.
Meanwhile, Lucknow depend on Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran for runs. All three are in excellent form. However, captain Rishabh Pant has struggled. In four innings, he has scored just 19 runs.
GT Use Smart Strategy With the Bat
Unlike most teams this season, GT play with a different approach. Instead of going hard from the start, they aim to save wickets and attack later. Sai Sudharsan, who scored 82 against Rajasthan Royals, explained it clearly: “we try and keep a lot of wickets in hand and go full-on in the last five overs.”
So far, this strategy has worked. In each of their five games, at least one of Gill, Sudharsan, or Buttler has scored a half-century. Therefore, the middle order stays fresh and ready.
Moreover, GT adjust their batting order based on the match situation. Assistant coach Parthiv Patel said, “there are no specific roles as such. As a team, we have a top three, but we keep shuffling the batting order. We react based on conditions and the situation.”
For example, Washington Sundar batted at No. 4 against SRH and made 49 from 29 balls. In the next match, Shahrukh Khan took his place and smashed 36 off 20 balls. Clearly, this flexibility has paid off.
LSG’s Middle Order Steps Up
Similarly, Lucknow’s middle order has started to click. The unexpected pairing of Markram and Marsh has given Pooran the support he needs. Together, they have covered up for Pant’s low scores.
In addition, young pacer Digvesh Rathi has stood out. He has played five IPL matches this season and impressed in all of them. Although his celebrations were a bit over the top, his bowling has made an impact. His economy rate of 7.75 is the best among all LSG bowlers.
Even in a high-scoring match against KKR, where 472 runs were scored, Rathi kept things tight. He conceded runs at just 8.25 per over. While Ravi Bishnoi remains the lead spinner, Rathi’s role is growing with every match.
Prasidh Krishna Gives GT an Edge
On the Gujarat side, Prasidh Krishna brings extra pace and bounce. During the middle overs, he bowls hard lengths that trouble the batters. He has taken five wickets in the last few matches. Therefore, LSG’s middle order will need to handle him carefully.
Head-to-Head Record
Historically, Gujarat have dominated this rivalry. In five previous IPL matches between these teams, GT have won four times. So, they go into this clash with confidence.
Pitch and Weather Update
As for the conditions, there is a small chance of rain in the evening. However, a long delay is unlikely. The pitch in Lucknow has mostly helped fast bowlers. So far, pacers have taken 15 wickets, while spinners have taken only six.
After losing to Punjab Kings, LSG introduced a black-soil pitch to help spinners. Even then, in a match where 472 runs were scored, spinners took just two wickets. Still, since this is a day game, spin bowlers might get more support this time.
Probable Playing XI's
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), David Miller, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi
Impact Player: Akash Singh
Gujarat Titans (GT): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Player: Ishant Sharma or Arshad Khan