RR vs LSG Preview – Table-toppers face each other at Jaipur
Rajasthan Royals will be back to their home base and will host the Lucknow Super Giants in the 26th match of the Indian Premier League on April 19 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. While the Men in Pink will be coming off an emphatic victory over defending champions Gujarat Titans, LSG will be eying to get back to winning ways after suffering a defeat against Punjab Kings.
This will be their first game at Jaipur, having played their previous home matches at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Rajasthan Royals jumped to the top spot in the points table after grabbing a thrilling victory over the Gujarat Titans on Sunday, April 16. Hence, the Sanju Samson-led side will be in top form and will be eying for yet another victory to get their Jaipur chapter off to a positive start.
Lucknow, on the other hand, are placed second on the points table with three wins and two losses from five games played so far. Winning the game against Rajasthan might boost their net run rate (NRR) and push them to the top of the table. The KL Rahul-led side has put up some terrific performances in the tournament thus far and would be hoping to clinch their fourth win.
Pitch and conditions
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur will be hosting the first-ever game of the current season of IPL 2023. India and New Zealand squared off at this venue in 2021, which was the last T20I game played here, and the contest turned out to be a thriller. The game will support pacers more than spinners, and the batters will have to struggle to get going.
Venue details: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Last T20 match at the venue: NZ- 164/6 (20 overs) | IND- 166/5 (19.4 overs)
Here’s the probable playing XI for Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants clash:
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals will be gunning to do well in their first-ever game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur this year. After several ups and downs, the team found its way to the top and will aim to keep that position intact and hence they’re likely to go with the same combination.
Lucknow Super Giants
LSG brought in Yudhvir Singh Charak and handed him his debut cap. Charak was very impressive as he helped his side get the initial breakthroughs. While the batting unit looks balanced, the bowling unit is yet to strike the correct balance and that is what skipper KL Rahul will be focusing on.
