LSG vs PBKS Match Prediction 2024: Who Will Win On 3/30

With IPL games being all about runfest this season, what can we expect from the LSG vs PBKS match that goes down on Saturday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium?

Lucknow Super Giants lost their first game of the season to Rajasthan Royals by 20 runs where Sanju Samson outclassed them. Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul scored great helf-centuries but LSG were still unable to chase the 194-run target.

After nearly a week, they will play their second IPL game where they’ll host Punjab Kings at their home ground.

PBKS grabbed a win in their opening game against Delhi Capitals where they chased the target with 4 wickets remaining and 4 balls to spare.

Coincidentally, RCB then chased the target set by PBKS with 4 wickets remaining and 4 balls to spare, thanks to a Dinesh Karthik masterclass.

Karthik finished the game in style to remain unbeaten at 28 off 10 and chase the 177-run target. Virat Kohli was granted the POTM award for his brave knock of 77 runs at a time where everyone was beginning to doubt him once again.

LSG vs PBKS Match: Pitch Condition

Like regular pitches across India, the Lucknow wicket is flat as well. However, it has been observed that it helps slower bowlers more than it benefits genuine pacers.

Spinners will enjoy turning it around due to the nature of the pitch.

This means that teams batting second may have it slightly harder to use the pace of the seamers to go big. They will have to rely on their own power which often urges the batters to over-hit and get caught before the ropes.

In the last seven IPL games played at this venue, four were won by teams that batted first, two by the chasing sides and the remaining game remained a no-contest.

The highest run-chase on this ground was 161/8 by the hosts in the last season against PBKS.

LSG vs PBKS Match: Players Who May Surprise The Opposition

Following are the players from both sides who are most likely to deliver the goods:

Pooran

One of the best pinch-hitters that the West Indies have produced in recent times include former WI captain, Nicholas Pooran.

Pooran is the sort of player who doesn’t rely too much on the conditions. We have seen him send the ball outside the ground in many parts of the world.

His vast experience of playing for various franchises has earned him a high reputation. He’s someone who can make humongous boundaries look short.

Pooran is not just an elite batter who can be sent to bat in any phase of the game. He’s an amazing fielder as well. Had he not been poached by the LSG, any team in the league would have splashed the cash to get a hold of him.

Most importantly, he’s a man in form. The Trinidadian cricketer will enjoy home conditions and he’s a guaranteed trouble-maker who can make the bowlers pay on his day, especially when you’re playing in his side’s backyard.

Sam Curran

Curran hasn’t been in his golden touch recently, but his new-ball spells have been quite threatening from what we’ve seen so far.

His deadly in-swing is what keeps the opposition’s top-order in check, especially during the powerplay.

He’s not just a special case with the ball. Over the years, the Englsihmen has shown how lethal he is with the bat in hand as well.

The 25-year-old all-rounder has 699 runs and 43 wickets in 48 IPL appearances.

In his time with the Chennai Super Kings, Curran was a menace in late overs. His flow of boundaries was something opposition’s bowlers found very tricky to falter.

Ravi Bishnoi

Mystery spinners like Bishnoi will always be a threat to the opposition due to their unpredictability. Though he conceded 38 in his four overs in the opening game, this doesn’t mean he has suddenly lost his charm.

The 23-year-old has been making waves in the international arena as well, so regaining his footing in the IPL should not be a major problem for him.

Moreover, an economy of 10 seems to be the new 8 for the bowlers this IPL. Pitches have become more supportive to batsmen this season and shorter boundaries have left no room for error for both spinners and fast bowlers.

If you put on the last SRH vs MI game in front of someone who had not watched cricket before, they will consider hitting boundaries the easiest thing to do in the sport.

Harpreet Brar

Brar boasts an amazing economy for his team. In almost every other game, he doesn’t let power hitters free their arms to hit him for boundaries at will.

This helps the entire Punjab team feast on the pressure that he builds in his spells. Not just Brar, but other bowlers also make hay of his economy as consecutive dot balls get the batter to play rash shots and lose their wickets by succumbing to pressure.

In the first game against RCB, he dismissed Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar. He registered figures of 2/13 in his full quota of four overs.

Though Punjab lost the game with a mere margin of four runs, Brar was the one who turned an easy chase into a potential loss to Virat Kohli and co.

Even a player of Kohli’s caliber found it extremely hard to punish him at will.

LSG vs PBKS Match Prediction

Although it’s an away fixture for Punjab, PBKS seems to be in phenomenal momentum. Led by Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab has been troublesome against both opponents so far regardless of the outcome of the match.

They’re a batting powerhouse that is guided by some phenomenal bowlers.

Players like Harpreet Brar keep things tight, and economical in the middle overs and Rahul Chahar, KG Rabada, and Arshdeep Singh do their due diligence to the cause as well.

The home crowd will be supporting their LSG boys, but Lucknow doesn’t seem to have as many game changers in all departments as PBKS does.