LSG vs RR Preview: Lucknow risk elimination; Rajasthan want to reclaim top spot; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Lucknow Super Giants host Rajasthan Royals at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, 22 April, at 7:30 PM IST in Match 32 of IPL 2026. LSG and RR have separate goals at this stage of the tournament.

Locknow have won 2 and lost 4 in their 6 matches. With 4 points, Rishabh Pant’s boys are at Number 9 with a Net Run Rate of -1.173.

Riyan Parag’s Rajasthan also have 8 points, 4 wins in 6 matches. With an NRR of +0.599, they rank 4th.

A loss here will likely make it impossible for the Super Ginats to qualify for the playoffs. They are coming from 3 straight losses. They must win this match or perish.

The Royals, on the other hand, are coming from two consecutive losses after winning 3 straight matches. They are desperate for a win to secure their playoff situation. Two points here will take them to Number 2, right behind the Punjab Kings.

Match Logistics

The game is at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, on Wednesday, 22 April, at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss at 7 PM IST. The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Head-to-Head Record

Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals have met 6 times. The numbers lean clearly toward Rajasthan with a 4–2 lead. That is a 66.67% win rate for RR compared to LSG’s 33.33%.

LSG’s highest total is 196 while RR’s is 199. LSG’s lowest score stands at 154 whereas RR have dipped to 144.

In 2022, RR won twice by 3 and 24 runs. In 2024, they added wins by 20 runs and 7 wickets. LSG’s wins are narrower, 10 runs in 2023 and 2 runs in 2025.

Team News

LSG used only three overseas players in the previous match. Matthew Breetzke was listed as an Impact Player but remained unused. He can replace Nicholas Pooran, who averages just 8.5 this season. Pooran also has a strike rate of only 80 after 30 balls.

LSG may also include Shahbaz Ahmed in place of M Siddharth. This move can strengthen batting depth and add spin balance.

Himmat Singh and Mukul Choudhary add middle-order support. Shami and Prince Yadav lead the pace attack. Prince has taken 11 wickets and ranks third in the Purple Cap standings. He also has five powerplay wickets, joint-highest in this match.

RR have a fully fit squad with no injury concerns. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has hit 15 powerplay sixes this season. Along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, he makes the most dangerous pair in IPL 2026.

Sandeep Sharma may replace Brijesh Sharma in the XI. Jofra Archer has taken powerplay wickets in five of six innings. He has bowled consistently at 145 kph with strong bounce. Archer leads the pace attack alongside Burger and Bishnoi.

Avesh Khan has struggled with an economy above 10 in each phase. He conceded 46 runs in three overs in the last match.

LSG have won only 2 of 9 matches at Ekana since 2025. This gives them a low home win rate of 41%.

Predicted Playing XI

Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth (Impact Player)

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma (Impact Player)

Key Players to Watch

Mitchell Marsh has scored 155 runs in 6 matches this season, averaging 25.83 with a strike rate of 134.78. His highest score is only 40, so he needs to fire. So does Rishabh Pant.

The Lucknow captain has been slightly more stable with 147 runs in 6 matches, averaging 29.40 at a strike rate of 136.11. His 68 not out shows finishing ability though consistency remains moderate.

For LSG’s bowling, Mohammed Shami has taken 5 wickets in 6 matches with an economy of 8.09. However, his average of 37.20 suggests he has been expensive when not taking wickets. He must deliver tonight as well.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been RR’s standout batter with 246 runs in 6 matches. He averages 41.00 and strikes at an exceptional 236.54, including 24 fours and 20 sixes.

Jofra Archer has delivered 8 wickets in 6 matches with a strong strike rate of 15.75. Ravi Bishnoi complements him with 10 wickets in 6 matches, averaging 19.00, including one 4-wicket haul.

Pitch and Conditions

The BRSABV Ekana Stadium uses black soil, which is abrasive and slows the pitch later. This surface helps the ball grip and turn as the match progresses.

Spinners are expected to dominate during the middle overs, especially between overs 8 and 15. The slowing pitch offers them better control and a sharper turn.

Pacers may get early movement and bounce during the power-play phase. However, their impact decreases as the surface slows.

Batting here needs patience and smart shot selection. Big hitters may struggle due to long boundaries that reach up to 81 meters. The ball often holds on the surface, reducing timing.

Moderate dew is expected in the second innings. This can make chasing slightly easier later in the match.

Ekana has hosted 24 T20 matches since 2023, producing a clear pattern. Teams chasing have won 14 games (58.33%) while teams batting first have won only 9 (37.50%).

Toss impact is strong, with toss winners claiming 16 wins (66.67%), compared to just 7 wins (29.17%) for teams losing it.

The average first-innings score is 173.46, with a run rate of 8.75 and 27.83 runs per wicket. Despite this, the highest team total is 235/6 while the lowest is 108.

The highest successful chase is 177/2. Individual peaks include Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 118 as the highest score and Mark Wood’s 5/14 as best bowling.

Lucknow must explode at home tonight. Or, they are likely to get eliminated early in the tournament. If they lose tonight, the playoffs will then be left to complicated, near-impossible mathematical equations.

The Royals, on the contrary, want to reclaim the top spot on the points table. A win tonight will be the right outcome to ensure that in the near future.