LSG’s issues are compounded by the absence of the suspended Digvesh Rathi
Abhimanyu Bose21-May-20253:08
Moody impressed by Sai Sudharsan’s range of strokes
Big picture: Untested middle order a concern for GTGujarat Titans have completed their first major objective of IPL 2025 – to qualify for the playoffs. But it’s still not yet job done in the league stage, as they are still not assured of finishing in the top two. When they reached the finals in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, they did so by topping the league. If they win both their remaining games, they are guaranteed to repeat that feat, and they would want to take the first step towards that goal in a home game against the beleaguered Lucknow Super Giants.GT will be wary of the challenge their opponents can pose, however, with one of their only three defeats this season coming against LSG.Related
LSG's Rathi suspended for one game after Abhishek incident
That game had exposed one possible weakness in GT – what happens when Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler don’t go big? Gill and Sudharsan hit fifties in that game, but departed within the space of seven balls after taking GT to 120 for no loss in 12 overs, and Buttler couldn’t take off. The middle order was called into action for heavier lifting than usual, and they couldn’t build on the platform, and GT finished on just 180 for 6.GT might want to see their middle order tested more before the playoffs, when they will also be without the services of Buttler.Form guideGujarat Titans WWWLW
Lucknow Super Giants LLLLWIn the spotlight – Sherfane Rutherford and Ravi BishnoiThis has been Sherfane Rutherford’s best IPL season yet. He has featured more consistently in his previous two stints, and has done well with an average of 38.16 and a strike rate of 159.02. With GT’s top order set to get lighter with Buttler’s departure, there will be more responsibility on him in the playoffs and he would want to gather momentum over the last two league games.Ravi Bishnoi enjoyed a meteoric rise after impressing in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, and became a regular in India’s T20I side after making his debut in 2022. He has suffered a difficult season this time around in the IPL, however, with just nine wickets from 11 games. His average and economy rate of 44.55 and 10.83 respectively in IPL 2025 have comfortably been his worst in any year and he was even dropped in the defeat to Punjab Kings. With fellow legspinner Digvesh Rathi suspended for this game, it is a chance for Bishnoi to put out a reminder of his quality.1:27
‘Chance for LSG to try out some new combinations’
Team news and possible XIIsGT are unlikely to tinker with the side that earned them a 10-wicket win in their last game. A case could be made to rest one of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, given they already have qualification in the bag and their two premier quicks have played every game of the season, but with a top-two finish still not guaranteed, they may delay that decision until their final league match against Chennai Super Kings.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh Krishna.In a season marred by injuries, LSG will also have to deal with a suspension as they will play this match without Rathi – one of the few bright sparks of their campaign – after he breached the IPL’s Code of Conduct for a third time this season. Left-arm spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and M Siddharth are two potential replacements for the legspinner.Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Mitchell Marsh, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Shahbaz Ahmed/Manimaran Siddharth, 12 Will O’Rourke.The big questionPitch and conditionsThis year, teams batting first have won four of the five matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with GT chasing 204 in the other game, against Delhi Capitals. Setting a total may be the way to go for whoever wins the toss. The pitch is also set to favour fast bowlers more, with the quicks taking a wicket every 20 balls at the venue this season as compared to spinners striking once every 23 deliveries.Stats and trivia GT comfortably have the best top-order (Nos. 1-3) average in IPL 2025 (61.35), but their middle order (Nos. 4-7) averages the lowest in the league (21.39). But their strike rate (165.65) is better than that of any other middle order. Gill and Sai Sudharsan are only the fifth pair to cross 600 runs for the same team in an IPL season. Overall, GT are the third team to have two players score 600 or more runs in a season, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings Rishabh Pant’s struggles could continue as he comes up against Mohammed Siraj. Even though Pant strikes at 185.10 against Siraj in T20s, he has been out to him four times in nine innings.Quotes”The positive thing is the middle order, Sherfane [Rutherford] and Shahrukh [Khan], guys like that, [Rahul] Tewatia, they’ve had good impact in games when they’ve got the opportunity. They just haven’t got a lot of game time over the last few weeks, so we’re trying to give that to them as much as we can through training. It’s very hard to simulate a match but giving them opportunities to bat out on the B ground with no nets up and to feel like it’s a little bit more match intensity at training is something that we’ll try and do over the next week or so.”