Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) find themselves in a must-win zone in their penultimate home game at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium, taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The dip in the form of Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran has exposed LSG’s over-dependence on them with the bat and their bowling department’s weaknesses. Taking a team, which is one step away from the playoffs, Lucknow will have to be at the top of their game as four consecutive losses could easily become five and they will find themselves eliminated from the tournament.

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow pitch report

Lucknow surfaces haven’t been straightforward this season. While they have been good for the batters, the wickets have had just enough in them for the slower bowlers, especially to restrict the opposition batters. Lucknow have free-flowing batters in their line-up, who like getting the ball nicely onto the bat but that hasn’t been the case at Ekana and which is why, probably, the hosts have lost three of their games out of five played thus far. 

Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals – the away teams who won in Lucknow – did so by chasing the target as they are aware of how this LSG line-up is stacked. The bowling isn’t LSG’s biggest strength and in the last two games, they have struggled to stop batting line-ups of Mumbai and Punjab in away games and but winning the toss and bowling first will be key for Rishabh Pant.

Lucknow conditions won’t allow the teams batting first to go on and score in excess of 220-230 and hence, if the team bowling first is able to restrict the opposition to anything around 170-180, which has been an average first innings score at the venue in 2025, they will be able to dictate the terms.