LSG vs SRH IPL Score Live Updates: Harshal Patel becomes second fastest to reach 150 IPL Wickets
Last year's finalists SRH are already out of contention and will be playing for pride while LSG have an outside chance of sneaking into the last-four if they can get to 16 points with three emphatic wins.
LSG's net run-rate -0.469 however makes it virtually impossible unless their last three opponents are completely annihilated.
LSG vs SRH IPL Score Live Updates: LSG 163/3
Mitchell Marsh falls after a steady innings
Marsh and Markram take on SRH bowling attack
In SRH line-up, Abhishek Sharma (311 runs), who regularly plays red ball for Punjab, would be sulking after being ignored for India A side for England tour.
On his day, Abhishek is a force to reckon with and LSG’s below-par bowling line-up will have its task cut on Monday.
Ravi Bishnoi, an otherwise steady figure in LSG line-up has been severely off-colour, going for more than 10 runs an over.
Big fast bowler Avesh Khan (10 wickets @10.10) has been inconsistent like every season while Test specialist Akash Deep had to be dropped after going at 12.25 per over in past four games.
The problem with LSG has been the middle order that hasn’t performed as per expectations, except save Ayush Badoni (326). David Miller (160 runs ) has also not set the stage on fire during the final overs.
LSG’s bowling has also been below-par with only find of the season Digvesh Rathi (12 wickets @8.09 ER) being their standout performer.
New Zealand seamer William O’ Rourke is a welcome addition in place of an injured Mayank Yadav, who is once again out for an indefinite period.
It will once again depend on top three which includes South African Aiden Markram (348) and Mitchell Marsh (378).
The forced break couldn’t have come at a more opportune time as it must have given the stockily built Rourkee man a chance to go back to the drawing board and analyse his own game.
LSG will also want their main batter Nicholas Pooran (410 runs) to start firing once again as he had tapered off after a bright start in the first five or six games.
With 128 runs from 11 games at a strike-rate of less than 100 and average of 12.80, it couldn’t have gotten worse for Pant. Things can only go up from here on. Pant’s name is doing the rounds for the Test vice-captaincy and even though IPL is a different format, getting a few impactful innings and guiding the team to victory is always good optics just before any major announcement.
The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ishan Kishan wouldn’t mind some runs under their belt before they leave the sub-continental shores for India A’s tour of England. However the bigger context is skipper Pant’s personal form which has nosedived since his record Rs 27 crore bidding at the IPL auctions last year.
LSG’s net run-rate -0.469, however, makes it virtually impossible unless their last three opponents are annihilated. For SRH, it will be a chance for some of their players to shrug off the rustiness that has plagued their campaign through and through.
Last year’s finalists SRH are already out of contention and will be playing for pride while LSG have an outside chance of sneaking into the last-four if they can get to 16 points with three emphatic wins.
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