GT's top order faces stern test against LSG seamers
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have carried GT's top-heavy batting, but they now run into the best pace attack of IPL 2026 so far. LSG's seamers have averaged just 8 in the Powerplay this season, picking eight wickets in three matches and conceding under five an over. Those are serious numbers, and GT's batters will know they have their task cut out.Why things look further uphill for GT is that they have been at the receiving end of this fixture, losing the last three meetings, including both times last year. Shubman Gill's side, though, know that the margins are small in cricket. If David Miller had taken that single off the penultimate ball, if Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada had managed to squeeze a boundary against Tushar Deshpande in the last over, their season could have looked very different.GT will also know there are gaps to target. It took a freakish innings from Mukul Choudhary to get LSG over the line in what should have been a routine chase at the Eden Gardens. Their x-factor from last year, Nicholas Pooran, has not looked the same force this season, having been moved down the order to spread out the formidable top-three from last year. His returns tell the story: 134 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.4 and a strike rate of 113.55, and there will be opportunities on offer to shut the game down.What to expect: While the pitches in Lucknow have improved over the years, they are still expected to be sluggish. Like it was on display in the opening match here this season, when the hosts were bowled out for 141 before a Sameer Rizvi special got Delhi Capitals over the line. It's supposed to be a hot and dry afternoon in Lucknow.Tactics & Matchups: LSG's seamers have stuck to good and hard lengths in the Powerplay and it will be interesting to see what GT's top-order comes up with against it. Gill averages over 54 and strikes at over 147 against LSG, and his battle with Mohammed Shami will be the one to watch out for.
Most Popular
