In the Eliminator of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday night. The winner of this match will head towards Ahmedabad to play against Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 on Friday.
Bangalore qualified after Delhi Capitals lost their last league game, against Mumbai Indians, despite dominating most of the match. Ahead of that game, the Bangalore side also beat table toppers Gujarat comprehensively to the keep their campaign alive. They will back themselves to put up a similar effort in this knockout encounter against K.L. Rahul's Lucknow, who are in top-notch form as well.
Like Bangalore, Lucknow too will bank on their batters to come good at that high-scoring Eden Gardens pitch. When Bangalore will look at the likes of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Dinesh Karthik, Lucknow boast of Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda and Marcus Stoinis. In bowling, Lucknow seem to have a slight edge, thanks to their in-form attack.
The wicket at the Eden Gardens will be quite identical to the one in which Gujarat chased down 189 against Rajasthan in the first qualifier. Both skippers would like to chase here hance toss can play a curial role in this high-profile fixture.
Likely XIs
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, K.L. Rahul (c), Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
Fantasy tips
- Back the top order batters of both teams to enjoy batting on that pitch.
- Hasaranga's mystery spin can be effective here.
- Hit-the-deck bowlers like Hazlewood and Avesh may get some extra lift out of the surface.
Where to watch
Live streaming of the Eliminator of IPL 2022 between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will start from 7.30 PM IST on 25 May. You can watch the match on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.