IPL Playoffs: LSG a hurdle that RCB need to clear en-route IPL title

Match number 72 sees Lucknow Super Giants(LSG) play Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) at the Rden Gardens, tonight.

Virat Kohli and co qualified for the IPL playoffs in the most dramatic on fashions. Today, they will look to continue their journey against an in-form LSG team.

The KL Rahul led LSG team accumulated 18 points from their 14 games and finished below Rajasthan Royals on run-rate.

As a result, the 2 teams – RCB and LSG will play the eliminator. The winner of this match goes on to face Rajasthan Royals in the qualifier 2.

Rajasthan Royals lost the qualifier 1 yesterday, thanks to a great show put on by the Killer Miller.

Read more about yesterday’s match here: https://www.sportstrumpet.com/ipl-playoffs-live-updates-of-the-match-between-rr-and-gt/

On the other hand, the losing team in tonight’s match will be eliminated from the Tata IPL 2022.

In the history of IPL, only 1 team who has played the eliminator has gone on to win the title and that is SunRisers Hyderabad in 2016.

Both RCB and LSG would like to achieve this feat in this years Tata IPL 2022.

Pitch Report

Eden Gardens has always been the place that has a lot of help for the spinners. Both teams have quality spin attacks. Just like yesterday’s match, we can expect a high scoring encounter when the two teams meet. Expect the captain winning the toss to elect to bowl first.

Head to Head

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the 1 and only match that these 2 teams have met.

Previous encounter(LSG vs RCB)

Faf Du Plessis was the star of the show when RCB took on LSG in the only ever game the 2 franchises have played.

He scored a career high 96 off just 64 balls to guide RCB to 181/6. Contributions from Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell helped ease the pressure for Faf.

Both Jason Holder and Dushmantha Chameera, picked up 2 wickets each, whereas Krunal Pandya got a solitary wicket to his name.

In reply, the Lucknow Super Giants kept losing wickets at regular intervals and as a result, lost the match by 18 runs.

Krunal Pandya top scored with 42(28) to help LSG to 163/8 in their 20 overs.

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood had a gem of a match, as he picked up for 4/25 in his 4 overs. A memorable outing for him. RCB will be hoping for a similar performance tonight.

Injury Update

We will update once we get some news regarding an injury.

Probable Playing XI

Lucknow Super Giants – KL Rahul(C), Quinton De Kock(wk), Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi

Royal Challengers Bangalore – Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(C), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

We can expect some lusty blows when the 2 teams meet tonight at the Eden Gardens in a must win game for both.