After loosing against SRH on Monday will knock LSG out of playoffs contention Head a doubt for SRH
Big picture: SRH look to spoil LSG’s playoffs chances
As the IPL 2025 league stage draws to a close, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum — one clinging to slim playoff hopes, the other striving to escape a last-place finish.The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) find themselves in a precarious position in the IPL 2025 season. Head a doubt for SRH After a promising start, they’ve experienced a significant downturn, losing four of their last five matches. Currently, they have 10 points from 11 games and are placed seventh in the standings. To keep their playoff hopes alive, LSG must win all three of their remaining matches and also rely on favorable outcomes in other fixtures.
Much of LSG’s slide stems from a faltering middle order. Rishabh Pant’s form has been poor, while David Miller, once a match-winner for GT, has also struggled as a finisher. This has left them heavily reliant on Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni to finish the innings. But LSG’s troubles don’t end there.
Their bowling hasn’t offered much respite either. LSG have the worst economy rate in the powerplay this season. Shardul Thakur has faded away, Akash Deep has struggled since his return from injury, and Mayank Yadav, once billed as their X-factor, lasted only two games before breaking down. Uncapped legspinner Digvesh Rathi has been the lone bright spot Head a doubt for SRH
As for SRH, last season’s runners-up, they have endured a steep decline. The once-feared opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, whose blitz set the tone in 2024, has struggled to deliver similar impact, with their average partnerships and strike rates dipping.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, a key retention, has hit the second-season slump. Heinrich Klaasen and Pat Cummins, so central to their 2024 run, have also been far less influential. Compounding their woes is a spin department that has offered little control or threat. Rookie Zeeshan Ansari, with six wickets, is their top wicket-taker among spinners and as a unit, their spin economy rate of 9.9 is the worst in the league. These are way too many problems for a team that was billed as title-contenders.
So, while the stakes may differ, both sides share the desperation of having to win.
Resent form
Sunrisers Hyderabad NRLWLL
Lucknow Super Giants LLLWL
Today probable
Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Sachin Baby, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 Nitish Reddy, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Zeeshan Ansari