GT's top order faces stern test against LSG seamers

In the dry April heat of Lucknow, the contest sets up as Gujarat Titans' top-order against Lucknow Super Giants' pace attack.

Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have carried GT's top-heavy batting, but they now run into the best pace attack of IPL 2026 so far. LSG's seamers have averaged just 8 in the Powerplay this season, picking eight wickets in three matches and conceding under five an over.

GT have lost the last three meetings between these sides, including both times last year. Shubman Gill's side, however, know the margins are small. If David Miller had taken a single off the penultimate ball in a recent match, or if Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada had managed a boundary in the final over, their season could look different.

There are gaps for GT to target. It took a freakish innings from Mukul Choudhary to get LSG over the line in what should have been a routine chase at Eden Gardens. Their x-factor from last year, Nicholas Pooran, has not looked the same force this season, having been moved down the order. His returns tell the story: 134 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.4 and a strike rate of 113.55.

When: Apr 12, 3:30 PM local
Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
What to expect: Pitches in Lucknow are expected to be sluggish. It's supposed to be a hot and dry afternoon.
Head to head: GT 4 – 3 LSG

Team News & Tactics

Lucknow Super Giants:

• Injuries/Availability: No reported fitness concerns.
• Tactics & Matchups: LSG's seamers have excelled with good, hard lengths in the Powerplay. Mohammed Shami's battle with Shubman Gill (who averages over 54 against LSG) will be key.
• Probable XII: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav.

Gujarat Titans:

• Injuries/Availability: Shubman Gill seems recovered from neck troubles. No other reported issues.
• Tactics & Matchups: Rashid Khan, back in form, has a favourable matchup against Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran, dismissing each three times.
• Probable XII: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna.

Key Stats:

• Since 2023, Kagiso Rabada has gone wicketless in eight of his 24 IPL outings.
• Ayush Badoni has seven 50-plus scores from No.4 or lower for LSG, a franchise record.
• Prasidh Krishna has the most wickets (12) in overs 7-15 in the IPL since 2025.

Captain's Comments:

"When you believe in someone as a player, as a captain, the player can do wonders with that trust. I think it definitely plays a big role," – Rishabh Pant, LSG captain.

"Those 5-6 runs in fielding, it makes a difference especially in a game when you see you're winning by one run. So every effort and every misfield or every good effort counts," – Shubman Gill, GT captain.