Updates (April 22, 2025)
1. Recent Thriller: DC vs LSG Match 4 Recap (March 24, 2025)
Result: Delhi Capitals won by 1 wicket in a last-over thriller 139.
- LSG Innings:
- Top Performers:
- Nicholas Pooran: 75 off 30 balls (6 fours, 7 sixes).
- Mitchell Marsh: 72 off 36 balls (6 fours, 6 sixes) 112.
- Bowling Highlights: Mitchell Starc (3/42) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/20) restricted LSG to 209/8 19.
- Top Performers:
- DC Innings:
- Collapse & Recovery: DC slumped to 113/6 before Ashutosh Sharma (66* off 31) and Vipraj Nigam (39 off 15) staged a dramatic comeback 312.
- Key Moments:
- Ashutosh hit a six off Shahbaz Ahmed’s final over to seal the win 3.
- LSG’s Shardul Thakur (2/19) and Ravi Bishnoi (2/31) nearly defended the total 9.
2. Upcoming LSG vs DC Match 40 Preview (April 22, 2025)
Venue: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | Time: 7:30 PM IST 10.
Team Form & Key Concerns
- LSG (WLWWW):
- Rishabh Pant’s Struggles: 106 runs in 8 matches, strike rate of 98 25.
- Bowling Woes: Death-over leaks; spinners Digvesh Rathi (9 wickets) and Ravi Bishnoi under pressure 57.
- Possible Return: Mayank Yadav (Impact Sub) may replace Prince Yadav 7.
- DC (LWLWW):
- Top-Order Instability: Four opening pairs used, averaging 21.28 runs per partnership 57.
- Axar Patel’s Dip: 1 wicket at 9.36 economy; relies on Kuldeep Yadav (Pooran’s nemesis: 74 runs off 70 balls, 5 dismissals) 25.
- Key Absentee: Faf du Plessis likely sidelined 7.
Pitch Report 2610
- Surface: Red soil (used in LSG’s two losses this season).
- Trends:
- Average 1st innings score: 182.
- Chasing advantage: 7 wins in 11 matches at Ekana (2024–25).
- Spinners and pacers share dominance; dew may favor chasing.
Weather Forecast
- Temperature: 28°C at match time, no rain expected 10.
Predicted XIs
- LSG: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi 27.
- DC: Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar 710.
Head-to-Head & Stats
- Overall: 3–3 312.
- Key Battles:
- Pooran vs Kuldeep: 10 runs off 6 balls in their last meeting 5.
- Starc’s Reverse Swing: Critical in death overs (8 wickets in 2 games earlier) 5.
3. DC’s 2025 IPL Campaign
- Standings: 2nd with 5 wins in 7 matches 57.
- Recent Matches:
- Loss to GT: DC posted 203/8, but Jos Buttler’s 97* secured GT’s win 12.
- Super Over Win vs RR: Starc’s yorkers forced a tie, DC clinched via Super Over 5.
4. LSG vs GT Context
While not the focus here, LSG’s previous clash with GT saw them defend 180/5 (Markram 66, Badoni 50) in a 2-run win over RR. Abdul Samad’s 30* off 10 was pivotal 12.
5. Key Takeaways for Today’s Match
- LSG’s Red-Soil Curse: Lost both games on this surface; DC may exploit 26.
- Ashutosh Sharma’s Form: Match-winner in the last encounter; LSG must plan for his power-hitting 312.
- Pant’s Redemption Arc: A strong innings could shift momentum for LSG 5.
- Starc vs Samad: Samad’s strike rate of 222 in death overs vs Starc’s yorkers 57.
Final Prediction: DC to edge LSG in another close contest, banking on middle-order firepower and Starc’s death bowling. LSG’s home struggles on red soil may continue
