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Visitors’ top four’s numbers so far in 2022 read 13 ducks with only six fifty-plus scores, and a collective average of 21.65

Mohammad Isam17-Jun-2022Shakib Al Hasan hasn’t looked this helpless for a long time. Shortly after Kyle Mayers delivered a double-wicket maiden to gut the Bangladesh middle order, there was nothing left for the new captain to do. He hadn’t faced a single ball while his team had crashed to 45 for 6 one hour into the match.If their 2018 visit to Antigua and their 2022 batting form is anything to go by, then the fate of the innings, the Test and the series was all but decided in the first hour.Within minutes of assessing the depth of Bangladesh’s collapse, Shakib proceeded to slog, hack and chance his arm for the remaining hour-and-a-half. It was definitely ugly. It was not first-day Test-match batting by any stretch of the imagination. But what could he do, really? Shakib’s 51 off 67 balls at least got Bangladesh to three-figures.Unless the bowlers put together a miraculous comeback on the second day, West Indies are already on top of this contest. Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales gave them a strong start, before Mayers and Alzarri Joseph rammed home the advantage with tight lines and subtle movement. Bangladesh were bowled out for 103.Mind you, Seales, Joseph, Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, who took two catches at slip, had only just arrived in Antigua from Multan where they played an ODI series against Pakistan. Modern cricketers are used to jetlag, but they’re still human beings. And human beings can’t just rock up to a Test match after flying halfway across the world and not feel some aftereffects.Bangladesh had an opportunity to exploit that. Instead, they succumbed to their demons. Fresh off a home Test defeat in which their batters scored six ducks in the first innings, they proceeded to get exactly as many on the first day in Antigua too.Young opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy continued to blow hot and cold as he got out for without scoring for the fifth time in seven Tests. He has also made 78 in New Zealand and 137 in South Africa, but poking at everything outside off stump is fast becoming a (bad) habit. At No. 3, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s ‘talented’ tag is wearing thin. He is considered Bangladesh’s future, but just one half-century in his last 17 Test innings is testing this idea heavily.ESPNcricinfo LtdMominul Haque, in his first innings after resigning from Test captaincy, was again behind the eight ball. He is going through a bad patch, which every player does. But being rushed against fast bowling doesn’t look good for someone who, just a year ago, had seemed so at ease in Test cricket.The Bangladesh top four’s numbers in the first six months of 2022 don’t make good reading: 13 ducks with only six fifty-plus scores, and a collective average of 21.65. Much of it is due to the poor form of Mominul and Shanto.Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul, Shanto and Mominul were all gone by the 14th over in Antigua. Without Mushfiqur Rahim and his understudy Yasir Ali, this was self-defeating to say the least. When Mayers removed the in-form Litton Das and Nurul Hasan in the same over, it wasn’t just two meaty blows to the visitors’ batting line-up. It was the end of the match as a contest.Litton didn’t show a semblance of patience, which was a surprise given his impressive form this year. Nurul, whose domestic form demanded a return to both the red- and white-ball teams, was lbw while leaving the ball.All this left Shakib having to swing at everything. He managed to get set despite trying to slog half the balls in an over, and trying to farm the strike in the other three. When he was set, he started to pick gaps by going over the fielders. Shakib didn’t even have the time or space to bat properly.Bangladesh’s tail-enders were never in with a chance. And it is a proper tail after Mehidy Hasan Miraz gets out, especially when they don’t pick Taijul Islam. Russell Domingo, Jamie Siddons and Khaled Mahmud have their work cut out managing not just the top order, but also in giving the tail some confidence.The BCB have ensured ample training camps for the South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies series, but no amount of training or motivation seem to be working for the Bangladesh batters. West Indies applied the same, simple formula that South Africa and Sri Lanka did in the preceding few months. They waited for the Bangladesh batters’ mistakes, and those came thick and fast.Perhaps it really was best that none of this was shown on TV back home.

Finding players to perform the roles these giants did will not be an easy task for their franchises

Deivarayan Muthu05-Sep-2020

Suresh Raina
His role
Raina at No. 3 is usually set in stone for the Chennai Super Kings, and he has missed just one match during his ten seasons at the franchise. He has now gone back home to India, but hasn’t quite ruled out a return to the Super Kings camp during the course of the tournament.Back in the day, Raina was a dasher at one-drop, merrily extending his arms and launching both seamers and spinners over his favourite extra-cover region. In recent years, Raina’s form at the Super Kings had cooled off, and he might not be the force he once was, but was a key part of the Super Kings plans.Filling the gap
The Super Kings haven’t named a replacement for him yet, but Maharashtra and India A batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is believed to have impressed MS Dhoni at the Chepauk camp in March earlier this year, is being talked up as a possible No. 3. If Gaikwad isn’t the preferred choice, Ambati Rayudu is likely to take up the job, with Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis set to open the innings.If teams tend to attack Super Kings’ band of right-hand batsmen with legspin, they could look to separate them by bumping Ravindra Jadeja or Sam Curran or Mitchell Santner up the order. Jadeja has actually batted at No. 3 in the past, just four times, hitting 91 runs at a strike rate of 140. Curran, too, has batted there in eight innings, making 230 runs at a strike rate of nearly 144 – and he had also opened the batting once for Kings XI Punjab last IPL. In the 2017 T20 Blast in England, Santner was also promoted up the order to No. 3 by Worcestershire.ALSO READ: Who can replace Suresh Raina at Chennai Super Kings?

Harbhajan Singh
His role
In the first qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, Dhoni didn’t use Singh as a bowler at all. However, overall, Singh’s accuracy has been central to Super Kings’ attack in the past two seasons. He was often Dhoni’s go-to spinner in the powerplay, claiming 11 wickets in 16 innings during that phase at an economy rate of 8.40. Not to forget all the experience and consistency; he is the only bowler to have an economy rate of less than 7.5 in eight IPL seasons.Filling the gap
While the Super Kings have a variety of options to replace Raina within their squad itself, they don’t have a specialist offspinner in their roster to fill the Singh-sized hole. However, they do have legspinners Piyush Chawla and Karn Sharma, and left-arm fingerspinner R Sai Kishore in the group. Tamil Nadu spinners M Abhinav (legspinner) and Aushik Srinivas (left-arm fingerspinner) are in the net-bowling contingent, but neither of them bowl offspin. Jalaj Saxena, who was part of the Delhi Capitals last year, could be good like-for-like replacement for Singh, if the Super Kings are looking for one.Lasith Malinga is the most successful bowler in IPL history•BCCI

Lasith Malinga
His role
Mumbai have a surfeit of top-notch pace options in their set-up – Trent Boult can swing the new ball, Mitchell McClenaghan thrives on bowling in the powerplay, Jasprit Bumrah is a world beater, Hardik Pandya is working his way back from injury, and there are Nathan Coulter-Nile and Dhawal Kulkarni in the mix too. However, they are most certainly going to miss Malinga’s vast experience and big-game pedigree. The 37-year-old has stepped up for Mumbai in multiple finals and is also known as a master tactician much like his captain Rohit Sharma. Malinga usually bowls the tough overs – both in the powerplay and at the death – last delivering Mumbai an unprecedented fourth title.Filling the gap
Mumbai have signed James Pattinson as Malinga’s replacement, but the Australia quick is yet to make his IPL debut (although he has been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders before). Pattinson brings with him extra pace and hit-the-deck bustle, which could prove effective even on the traditionally sluggish tracks in the UAE. With Quinton de Kock and Kieron Pollard being certain starters among the overseas names, McClenaghan, Boult, Coulter-Nile and Pattinson will have to tussle for the other two slots.

Chris Woakes
His role
Woakes was largely used as a death-bowling allrounder by Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Knight Riders. Fourteen of his 25 wickets in the IPL have come in the last five overs. In the pre-pandemic world, Kagiso Rabada had been ruled out of the India tour earlier this year owing to injury, and might not have been available had the IPL happened at its original slot. So the Capitals would have looked at Woakes as a first XI option. Plus, being a capable batsman lower down the order, Woakes would likely have played a few matches with teams likely to rotate their players considering the heat in the UAE.Filling the gap
Rabada is now fit and the Capitals have drafted in Anrich Nortje as Woakes’ replacement. Nortje had missed IPL 2019 for the Knight Riders, and then the World Cup because of a shoulder injury, but he’s also back, and can regularly clock speeds north of 140kph. So Woakes’ absence might not be too big a setback for the Capitals.

Others to give IPL 2020 a miss
Jason Roy: He is huge for England in white-ball cricket, but would have found it hard to get in the XI for the Capitals, who have Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer as their Indian opening options. The team played it smart by picking up Australian left-arm quick Daniel Sams in Roy’s place.Kane Richardson: The Australian quick wanted to be home for the birth of his first child, and legspinner Adam Zampa has stepped in for Royal Challengers Bangalore. A sensible move from the team, with all matches to be played on slower pitches across the UAE.Harry Gurney: A shoulder injury has put Gurney out of action, and the Knight Riders might miss him, though they have Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson in their ranks. Crucially for the team, they will have Chris Green available – there were question marks over his action, but he’s bowling, and bowling very well, in the CPL.

Justin Verlander is one of the oldest players in MLB, but it doesn't seem as if he's ready to call it a career just yet. Now in the midst of his 20th season, Verlander notched his 3,500th strikeout on Sunday, and is on the verge of moving into the ninth all-time in the category. And despite not picking up a win until his 17th start of the year, he's expecting to be back on the mound in 2026.

Speaking with , Verlander acknowledged his desire to continue pitching in 2026.

"I mean, I'd like to," he said. "At this point in my career, if something goes really wrong, I'm not going to rehab a surgery or anything. I always understand that it could be it, but I think physically, I've shown some good health this season. As I've been on the mound, things have started to get better and better. To me, that's a good sign with all the work I put in after my nerve injury last year, which notoriously takes a long time. The ball's rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It's a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there."

It's not something he's shied away from in the past, and 20 starts into his age-42 season, it's clear Verlander believes he has another year left in him, if not more. Of course, he was ready to admit that a significant injury could change those plans, but if he's blessed with a clean bill of health, he sees no reason why he can't contribute so long as he still has the stuff on the mound.

In 2025, Verlander owns a 4.53 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings. He signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Giants in the offseason, so he'll be back in free agency again in the winter, where he'll be hoping at least one team has interest in adding him to the back end of their rotation for what would be his age-43 season.

The once-white-hot Chicago Cubs have been playing rather docile baseball as of late—they entered Thursday just 5-5 in their last 10 games.

However, they received some good news as a crucial piece of their collective puzzle returned Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs activated pitcher Shota Imanaga from the 15-day injured list and watched him pitch five shutout innings against the Cardinals.

Imanaga, 31, had been out since May 4 with a left hamstring strain. He is 3-2 on the season with a 2.83 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.

To make room for Imanaga, Chicago designated pitcher Michael Fulmer for assignment. The 32-year-old has bounced around the big leagues since an excellent mid-2010s debut that saw him win the American League's Rookie of the Year award in 2016. He was named an All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 2017.

The Cubs are currently 47-33; they lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.5 games in the National League Central Division.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has hit out at Florentino Perez after the Real Madrid chief reignited accusations over the Negreira case during his latest assembly speech. Perez linked Barca’s historic success to payments made to the former refereeing vice-president, prompting a fierce response as Laporta accused Madrid of “obsession” and weekly attempts to influence referees in a fiery escalation of the long-running rivalry.

• Perez reignites Negreira accusations as tensions explode again

  Madrid president Perez reopened the Negreira controversy, using his most recent Assembly intervention to once again question Barcelona’s integrity and imply historic refereeing corruption. His comments immediately triggered a new wave of tension between the two giants at a time when La Liga’s title race is heating up.

  Perez referenced charts, statistics and historic disciplinary data as he accused the Catalan giants of benefiting from improper influence between 2001 and 2018, the 17-year period in which Barca were alleged to have paid €8.4 million to former refereeing vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

  He outlined his stance bluntly in front of club members: "It’s not normal that Barcelona has paid the vice president of referees more than €8m for at least 17 years, whatever the reason," Perez denounced before the members. "I repeat: whatever the reason, it’s not normal."

  He continued to say that Enriquez Negreira held "a key position in the refereeing hierarchy," responsible for referee promotions and demotions. "A period that coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best sporting results in our country," added Perez.

  The Los Blancos president also presented numerical data to justify his argument: "Real Madrid had a net balance of two red cards in 2021,” he explained. "And Barcelona, 61 red cards. That’s a difference of no less than 59. On the other hand, during the same period, the balance in Europe is almost identical: +12 for Barca and +13 for Madrid."

  These remarks set the stage for a fierce response, one Laporta delivered within hours during an institutional visit to Andorra.

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  Laporta blasts ‘obsession’ and accuses Madrid of weekly referee pressure

  Laporta responded forcefully, framing Madrid’s approach as a long-standing campaign to undermine Barcelona’s achievements. He opened with a direct attack: "Now that I remember the statements made at the Madrid Assembly, which I haven't had a chance to comment on, and now that I'm in Andorra I'll address them. I think they're out of line; they reveal Madrid's obsession with Barca. It seems they have to talk about Barca to justify who knows what. They're constantly involved in the legal proceedings of the 'Negreira Case,' which they're dragging out like chewing gum because they know there's nothing to it, but it's a way of justifying something that isn't true: Barca has never bribed referees, and referees generally don't favor Barca; they've always favored Madrid."

  The Barca president then escalated his criticism by accusing Madrid of manipulating public opinion through media channels: "If they're caught up in this 'Barcelona-itis,' I'm delighted, because these are usually times when Barca is successful and triumphant. Real Madrid's television channel is trying to influence referees every week."

  His defiant message reflected a club determined not to let Madrid control the narrative, especially with legal proceedings and media pressure intensifying around the Negreira case.

• A rivalry torn open as Laporta cites officiating controversies

  Laporta also referenced Los Blancos' recent 2-2 draw at Elche, pointing to two controversial goals involving Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. as evidence of what he sees as favorable treatment. He argued that Madrid benefited from decisions that should never have stood: "Just last week, Real Madrid scored two goals that, in my opinion, clearly involved Bellingham handling the ball, and in the other, Vinicius broke Inaki Pena's nose. Those two goals shouldn't have stood, and Barca would be leading the league now."

  The Barca president then returned to a historical perspective, insisting Madrid’s accusations were rooted in resentment for Barcelona’s most successful era: "They have a persecution complex against the best period in Barca's history. They didn't like that Barca was the world's leading team from 2004 to 2015, when Barca was dominant, and they're trying to find excuses that lead nowhere. We were the team that played the best football, recognised, admired, and esteemed for what we gave, recognised for what we did, and admired for how we did it. We won many titles, and Barca's style of play was admired all over the world, so don't make excuses."

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  A new chapter in the Madrid-Barca divide

  The fallout adds another layer of turbulence to a rivalry already stretched by Super League disagreements, legal battles, and constant refereeing disputes. Barcelona's leadership is adamant the Negreira case will not tarnish their legacy, while Madrid insist questions must be asked.

  With the La Liga title race entering a decisive phase and both clubs preparing for crucial fixtures, domestic and European, the political war between the presidents is likely to continue running parallel to events on the pitch. Laporta’s final message was clear: Barcelona will not be intimidated, and they believe Madrid’s growing fixation only proves their continued relevance.

Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi Hasan picked up five wickets between them in eight overs

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2025

Dasun Shanaka clobbered 64 not out off 37 balls to propel Sri Lanka through the middle and death overs, after their openers had provided a rapid 44-run opening stand.In between those batters, however, Bangladesh imposed themselves, mainly through Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi Hasan, who took five wickets between them, and were also economical. Mustafizur was especially impressive, taking 3 for 20. His last over – the 19th of the innings – cost Sri Lanka three wickets, but they could only scramble five runs off it. Mustafizur had also had Shanaka dropped off his bowling on 38 off 27, in the 17th over.Related

Tait confident Mustafizur Rahman will do better against Sri Lanka

Bereaved Dunith Wellalage rejoins SL squad in Dubai

Shanaka’s was not the only catch Bangladesh missed. Mustafizur himself had failed to attack a dying chance at fine leg (he likely could have got there), to reprieve Kusal Perera on 11. Charith Asalanka was also put down by Towhid Hridoy at deep point, on 16. Both those batters made five further runs. Asalanka was also dropped a second time by Hridoy, but was run out off that same delivery, attempting a second.Sri Lanka will feel their total competitive, on a Dubai track known to be tough for batters. Bangladesh are unlikely to be fazed by its heft either, however.

Initially signed to play two red-ball and ten List A games, Khaleel flew back after just two County Championship matches citing personal reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025

Khaleel Ahmed, the India bowler, has ended his time with Essex after playing two first-class matches for them in the ongoing County Championship.The pacer had initially signed with the club for a two-month stint, which would’ve seen him playing six first-class matches – the remainder of Essex’s first-class season – as well as a maximum of ten possible List A games in the One-Day Cup.The club announced his signing in June, after he had impressed for India A with a spell of 4 for 70 during a red-ball game against the England Lions. He flew out to join the side for a stint that was supposed to last till late September and played in two matches, taking just four wickets at an average of 64.50.However, Essex released a press statement saying that Khaleel had returned home ahead of his remaining fixtures with the club. “While we are disappointed to see him leave,” a statement said, “we fully support Khaleel’s decision and are grateful for the contributions he made during his time with us.”Khaleel, who last played for India in 2019, has taken 15 wickets in 11 ODIs at an average of 31.00. On the other hand, he has been in action for his domestic side, Rajasthan, and was also picked for last year’s Duleep Trophy. Across 22 first-class matches, he has taken 60 wickets at an average of 30.13.He will also be in contention for a spot for the inter-zonal Duleep Trophy competition, which kickstarts India’s red-ball domestic season on August 28.

Freddie Freeman willed the Los Angeles Dodgers to an important victory in Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. In the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs, Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game 6–3 for Los Angeles.

Freeman, limited by an injured ankle which has required hours of pregame work, lifted his bat knowing he had gotten a hold of the home run. Then, he put a few more steps on his ankle, rounding the bases to get to home.

"That's a dream come true, but that's only one, we got three more," he reminded himself and his team after the game speaking to Fox's Ken Rosenthal. He refused to be a prisoner of the moment, just saying he didn't know where it ranked all-time on his personal list of moments.

It was not his only contribution, Freeman had another hit earlier in the game, a triple off a bobbled ball in the outfield, proving he and the Dodgers medical team have kept the ankle from being a complete limiting factor.

Freeman went on to tell Rosenthal in the postgame interview that he was hoping to time Nestor Cortes's four-seam fastball. The pitch he hit was just one of Cortes's two pitches in the game.

Just before pitching to Freeman, the Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts.

Wayne Rooney has sought to bring an end to his supposed feud with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. The Manchester United legend has found himself caught up in a war of words with the Netherlands international, with the pair coming face-to-face during an awkward television exchange after Van Dijk helped Liverpool to a Champions League win over Real Madrid.

Van Dijk's reaction to 'lazy criticism' from Rooney

Ahead of that game, with the Reds having endured a testing run in the 2025-26 campaign, Rooney suggested that Van Dijk is among those to have allowed lofty standards to slip in a Premier League title defence. He is not the only prominent figure at Anfield to fall into that category.

The commanding centre-half is, however, club captain on Merseyside and is expected to lead by example – calling in-house meetings if required in a bid to get to the bottom of why a run of six defeats in seven was allowed to happen.

Van Dijk responded to comments from ex-England captain Rooney by saying: "I didn't hear him last year. It doesn't hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things but I feel that comment is just I would say it's a bit of a lazy criticism."

AdvertisementAFPLiverpool captain sent out for post-match press duty

Rooney doubled down on his claims, only to then be confronted by Van Dijk after the Dutchman was sent out for post-match press duty with after Liverpool battled to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in European competition. He said when picking up a microphone next to Rooney, with team gatherings at Anfield being addressed: "It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row that it helped pretty well but in a world of chaos you have to try and stay calm and take perspective of things. In that meeting the time was October, so much football to be played, so many twists and turns that can happen and I think at times the noise was a lot (said with a small smile on his face). I think it is very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down and work and get out the situation because the quality we have, that is not the issue. It is about keep working and keep going."

Rooney responds to awkward exchange with Van Dijk

Rooney looked slightly uncomfortable when being faced with Van Dijk, but told his podcast for : "I thought he was good that night, and I had loads of people say, 'Oh, when he came up to you,' I think fair play to him for coming out. We didn’t know he was coming out. It was meant to be [Dominik] Szoboszlai, I think, to come to the table. But I think fair play to him, he came out and he put his point across.

"Listen, Virgil van Dijk over the last five, four years has been one of, if not, the best centre-backs in the world, and his performances have dipped over the last few weeks.

"I’ve had my opinion on that; he has his own, which you have to respect. But when you’re the Premier League champions, teams are coming for you, and when you don’t win one game, people ask questions. So, when you don’t win four games in a row, of course, there are questions of the captain. I think I said it a few weeks ago on here, what he should be and he will be doing is getting the players together.

"I think he said that he got the players together and took them for a meal or something, trying to bring that chemistry back, and that’s what I was saying he should be doing as a captain, and he’s done that. It certainly seemed to help in the Madrid game. He’s a fantastic player, but he hasn’t started the season great. You want to see good players playing well, and he performed well [against Real Madrid]. So, for him, I’m sure for Liverpool, he hopes that continues."

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AFPLiverpool fixtures: Man City clash next up for the Reds

Rooney added after being asked when it became apparent that Van Dijk would be joining him for an on-air discussion: "When he was there, and I think it's great. No disrespect to Szoboszlai, but I'd rather speak to Van Dijk."

He went on to say: "I think the issue is, when you don't play well and you're not winning games, as Premier League champions, everyone's going to have an opinion. And, of course, when you're not playing well or you're not winning games that opinion, they're going to look at why and give their thoughts why. Liverpool can use this in two different ways: they can let it affect them or they can use it to spur them on.

"You look at Man United over the last few years, the criticism that they've had. I played the game, I was captain of England, captain of Man United. I got criticised for for all kinds. That's part of being a top player. You have to deal with that. You have to accept it at times. Listen, I was unfair with my comments, I'd be the first to hold my hands up. Same way I did with Man United when I had a rant about them and then they won games, and I come back on that. If I was unfair, I'd be fair to hold my hands up."

Rooney maintains that his comments were fair, with it the role of a pundit to offer opinions that may not be universally well received, and he will be an interested observer on Sunday when Van Dijk and Liverpool head to the Etihad Stadium for a heavyweight showdown with old adversaries Manchester City.

LSG’s issues are compounded by the absence of the suspended Digvesh Rathi

Abhimanyu Bose21-May-20253:08

Moody impressed by Sai Sudharsan’s range of strokes

Big picture: Untested middle order a concern for GTGujarat Titans have completed their first major objective of IPL 2025 – to qualify for the playoffs. But it’s still not yet job done in the league stage, as they are still not assured of finishing in the top two. When they reached the finals in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, they did so by topping the league. If they win both their remaining games, they are guaranteed to repeat that feat, and they would want to take the first step towards that goal in a home game against the beleaguered Lucknow Super Giants.GT will be wary of the challenge their opponents can pose, however, with one of their only three defeats this season coming against LSG.Related

LSG's Rathi suspended for one game after Abhishek incident

That game had exposed one possible weakness in GT – what happens when Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler don’t go big? Gill and Sudharsan hit fifties in that game, but departed within the space of seven balls after taking GT to 120 for no loss in 12 overs, and Buttler couldn’t take off. The middle order was called into action for heavier lifting than usual, and they couldn’t build on the platform, and GT finished on just 180 for 6.GT might want to see their middle order tested more before the playoffs, when they will also be without the services of Buttler.Form guideGujarat Titans WWWLW
Lucknow Super Giants LLLLWIn the spotlight – Sherfane Rutherford and Ravi BishnoiThis has been Sherfane Rutherford’s best IPL season yet. He has featured more consistently in his previous two stints, and has done well with an average of 38.16 and a strike rate of 159.02. With GT’s top order set to get lighter with Buttler’s departure, there will be more responsibility on him in the playoffs and he would want to gather momentum over the last two league games.Ravi Bishnoi enjoyed a meteoric rise after impressing in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, and became a regular in India’s T20I side after making his debut in 2022. He has suffered a difficult season this time around in the IPL, however, with just nine wickets from 11 games. His average and economy rate of 44.55 and 10.83 respectively in IPL 2025 have comfortably been his worst in any year and he was even dropped in the defeat to Punjab Kings. With fellow legspinner Digvesh Rathi suspended for this game, it is a chance for Bishnoi to put out a reminder of his quality.1:27

‘Chance for LSG to try out some new combinations’

Team news and possible XIIsGT are unlikely to tinker with the side that earned them a 10-wicket win in their last game. A case could be made to rest one of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, given they already have qualification in the bag and their two premier quicks have played every game of the season, but with a top-two finish still not guaranteed, they may delay that decision until their final league match against Chennai Super Kings.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh Krishna.In a season marred by injuries, LSG will also have to deal with a suspension as they will play this match without Rathi – one of the few bright sparks of their campaign – after he breached the IPL’s Code of Conduct for a third time this season. Left-arm spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and M Siddharth are two potential replacements for the legspinner.Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Mitchell Marsh, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Shahbaz Ahmed/Manimaran Siddharth, 12 Will O’Rourke.The big questionPitch and conditionsThis year, teams batting first have won four of the five matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with GT chasing 204 in the other game, against Delhi Capitals. Setting a total may be the way to go for whoever wins the toss. The pitch is also set to favour fast bowlers more, with the quicks taking a wicket every 20 balls at the venue this season as compared to spinners striking once every 23 deliveries.Stats and trivia GT comfortably have the best top-order (Nos. 1-3) average in IPL 2025 (61.35), but their middle order (Nos. 4-7) averages the lowest in the league (21.39). But their strike rate (165.65) is better than that of any other middle order. Gill and Sai Sudharsan are only the fifth pair to cross 600 runs for the same team in an IPL season. Overall, GT are the third team to have two players score 600 or more runs in a season, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings Rishabh Pant’s struggles could continue as he comes up against Mohammed Siraj. Even though Pant strikes at 185.10 against Siraj in T20s, he has been out to him four times in nine innings.Quotes”The positive thing is the middle order, Sherfane [Rutherford] and Shahrukh [Khan], guys like that, [Rahul] Tewatia, they’ve had good impact in games when they’ve got the opportunity. They just haven’t got a lot of game time over the last few weeks, so we’re trying to give that to them as much as we can through training. It’s very hard to simulate a match but giving them opportunities to bat out on the B ground with no nets up and to feel like it’s a little bit more match intensity at training is something that we’ll try and do over the next week or so.”