IPL 2025 Match Preview | LSG seek last hope as the Orange Army threaten to end their campaign

ByDebayan Sinha,SportsCafe Editor

Yesterday at 8:48 PM

Although Sunrisers are out of the playoff race, their top overseas players are expected to return for the final three games, starting against the Super Giants. The Orange Army were unfortunate to miss out on a win against Delhi, where Cummins and company dominated before rain had the final say.

‌Sunrisers Hyderabad are out of the IPL 2025 playoff hunt, while the Lucknow Super Giants still have a slim chance of finishing in the top four as they prepare to face each other at the Ekana. Having beaten the Sunrisers earlier in the playoffs, LSG will be aiming to repeat that success on Monday. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, Sunrisers are expected to field their key overseas players—Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Heinrich Klaasen—for their final three matches, starting with the game against LSG. The Orange Army narrowly missed out on a win against the Delhi Capitals, despite Cummins and company putting on a strong performance, as rain ultimately interrupted the match.

Meanwhile, LSG last played against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, conceding 236 runs in 20 overs and losing by 37 runs. With six losses in 11 games and other teams improving, their chances of making the playoffs are fading, putting renewed pressure on Rishabh Pant, who has struggled this season despite his ₹27 crore price tag.

Form Guide:

LSG: L, L, L, W, LSRH: NR, L, W, L, L

LSG vs SRH head-to-head in T20S

SRH and LSG have met five times in the IPL, with the Super Giants holding a dominant 4-1 head-to-head record. Interestingly, Sunrisers’ lone victory came at their home ground, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Pitch and Weather

The clash will be held at the Ekana Stadium, celebrated for its testing surfaces that tend to favour spinners and offer little comfort to batters. Weather is unlikely to be a factor, with just a 5% chance of interruptions; temperatures are expected to hover between a high of 39°C and a low of 28°C during the game.

Team News

New Zealand pacer Will O'Rourke has come in as a replacement for Mayank Yadav, while LSG’s only other absentee is Shamar Joseph, who hasn’t featured in a single match this season.

According to reports, Travis Head tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia and is expected to land in India on the morning of the match. His participation will be decided after a fitness check, as confirmed by head coach Daniel Vettori. Wiaan Mulder is SRH’s only overseas absentee, though his absence is minimal given he’s played just one game this season. If Head is unavailable, Ishan Kishan may be promoted to open, with Sachin Baby or Harsh Dubey likely to slot into the middle order.

LSG Probable XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur

SRH Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammad Shami, Simarjeet Singh

Broadcasting Platforms

The Indian Premier League will be digitally streamed on JioHotstar and telecast on the Star Sports network.