Lucknow and Punjab will face each other at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium on April 29. Punjab have won four games and lost as many in the ongoing season so far. On the other hand, the Indian T20 League debutants have won five and lost three so far. Both teams are coming off from wins in their last respective games. Punjab beat Chennai while Lucknow defeated Mumbai. Both teams will be eyeing to win the next game and boost their hopes of making it to the playoffs.
Team News
Punjab
The team has only won two games in the last five matches. However, there confidence as a team must have gone up after winning against defending champions, Chennai for the second time this season. With the bat, they have the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who have done well with the bat.
There bowling is a concern though as they lack genuine wicket-takers. The team is likely to stick with the winning combination.
Key Players:Â
Shikhar Dhawan:Â The left-hander is the fourth highest run getter in the tournament with 302 runs in eight games. He is coming off an 88 not out against Chennai, which helped the team win a crucial game. He could be a key player for the team against Lucknow.
Rahul Chahar:Â The leggie has picked 10 wickets in eight games. He had a rough game against Chennai. However, leg spinners are always threatening and with wickets getting slow, Chahar can have a big role to play.
Probable XI
Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma.
Team News
Lucknow
The team has been inconsistent in the last few games. If they win one game, they lose another and the cycle goes on. However, overall they will be satisfied with their performance. They have one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament in the form of Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Jason Holder, and Krunal Pandya.
Talking about their batting, their skipper KL Rahul is leading from the front. Apart from him, Quinton de Kock, Ayush Badoni and Deepak Hooda have also looked good. Avesh Khan is likely to get back in the team after missing the last game due to a niggle.
Key Players:Â
KL Rahul:Â The skipper is the second highest run-getter of the tournament with 368 runs in eight games, including two hundreds. He is coming off a century against Mumbai. The right-hander will be up against his former team and will be eyeing another good outing.
Avesh Khan:Â Khan has done well with 11 wickets in seven games in the tournament, averaging 20.09. He missed out the last game due to a minor niggle. He will be an important asset for Lucknow with his extra pace.
Probable XI
Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, , Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Avesh Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi
Match Details
Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune
Time:Â 07:30 PM IST
Live Telecast:Â Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report
The last game at the venue between Bangalore and Rajasthan saw pacers getting help from the wicket. It was a low scoring game where Bangalore failed to chase 144. Once again, the bowlers, especially pacers can dominate the game.
