LSG next in revitalised CSK's playoffs push

It's not often you get to navigate puddles of rain water before entering the MA Chidambaram Stadium in May. A spell of summer rain has come as a welcome relief for Chennai locals. It kept Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants indoors as both teams opted not to practice on the eve of the game. What both teams hope for is for those rain clouds to disappear overnight. CSK and LSG desperately need two points and both would view this fixture as a fantastic opportunity.

CSK have been building momentum despite losing their first three games. They have now won three of their last four matches, clawing their way back into playoff contention. With back-to-back fixtures against the bottom-placed team coming up, CSK will fancy their chances of adding four more points.

Sanju Samson was once again on fire in their most recent win in Delhi and young Kartik Sharma is starting to find his feet. If Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube can find form, CSK's chances will brighten especially since their bowling attack looks settled.

LSG have their own reasons to back themselves. Despite a torrid season, they have looked impressive in patches in the last three games. One saw LSG go down via a Super Over, another saw them lose despite posting 228, and their most recent fixture ended in a statement win. Not many expected LSG to topple defending champions RCB but they did it with conviction. Mitchell Marsh hit a scintillating ton and Nicholas Pooran looks a million bucks again after reclaiming his No.3 spot. That win would have given LSG some hope with four games remaining. With CSK not possessing a great home record in recent times, this is certainly not a herculean task.

When: Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, May 10 at 3:30 PM

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect: The uncertain weather could influence how the surface behaves initially. The forecast for Sunday looks clear, paving the way for a full game.

Head to head: CSK 2 – 3 LSG

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Uncertainty hangs over MS Dhoni's participation. With the practice session cancelled, the suspense will continue.

Probable XII: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Rishabh Pant mentioned that Josh Inglis and Mohsin Khan missed the last game due to small injuries. It remains to be seen if they recover in time.

Probable XII: Mitchell Marsh, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram/Josh Inglis, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav/Mohsin Khan

• Akeal Hosein has a dot-ball percentage of 64.8 in the Powerplay.
• Mitchell Marsh is the leading overseas run getter in IPL since the start of 2025.
• LSG have used six uncapped batters in their campaign so far.

"Last year he showed glimpses of what he could achieve. This year during the camps we discussed his strengths. Under pressure, sometimes a bowler goes blank. But the one who is confident of executing his strengths is going to be most successful." – LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun on Prince Yadav