SRH head into their first home game brimming with confidence after rediscovering their batting firepower, piling up 226/8 to thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs at Eden Gardens. A return to Uppal, where conditions are expected to favour strokeplay in an afternoon game, only adds to LSG’s challenge.
With momentum and home advantage on their side, SRH will start as favourites, leaving LSG with plenty to overcome. Despite reaching the playoffs in their first two seasons, the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise have struggled in recent years, finishing seventh twice, and their current campaign has also begun on a disappointing note.
The issue is not a lack of resources. Under Justin Langer, LSG boast a strong batting unit featuring Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, captain Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran. However, their collapse for 141 in under 19 overs against Delhi Capitals in their opener exposed glaring weaknesses.
Tactical changes didn’t help either, as LSG moved away from the Marsh-Markram opening pair, pushing Pant up the order. The move backfired, with Pant scoring just seven before being run out, once again raising questions about his ideal position. A return to No. 3 — a slot where he found success in 2025, including a century — could be considered. Pooran has also thrived in that role but may need to handle the middle overs instead.
Marsh was the lone bright spot, making 35 before falling to a slower delivery, underlining LSG’s recurring problem of not converting starts into big scores. To regain balance, they may look to restore the Marsh-Markram opening combination and slot Pant back into the middle order.
Their bowling, however, was a major positive. Mohammed Shami impressed with a vintage new-ball spell alongside young pacer Prince Yadav, reducing Delhi to 26/4 in the powerplay. But LSG couldn’t maintain that pressure in the middle overs, and the decision to leave out mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi, last season’s leading wicket-taker, raised eyebrows. On a flat Uppal pitch, their combination without a frontline wrist-spinner could again come under scrutiny.
SRH, meanwhile, seem to have found their rhythm after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener. Their batting clicked as a unit against KKR, with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma returning to form at the top.
Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan has shown promising signs, while Heinrich Klaasen’s experience continues to anchor the middle order, as seen in his composed half-century in Kolkata.
SRH’s batting depth remains a key concern for LSG. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed with both bat and ball, while Harsh Dubey provided control with spin. The pace duo of Jaydev Unadkat and Ehsan Malinga chipped in with five wickets between them as KKR were bowled out for 161 in 16 overs, showcasing that SRH’s bowling unit is far from fragile.
Teams (from)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Ishan Kishan (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Salil Arora, Shivang Kumar, Omkar Tarmale, Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Amit Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Jack Edwards and Pat Cummins.
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c), Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Maharaj Singh, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Mukul Choudhary.
