With more than a quarter of the Indian T20 League season now played, few would have predicted that Lucknow, one of the two new franchises, and Rajasthan would be sitting in 3rd and 4th place. Rajasthan started their campaign with 2 straight wins, before being ambushed by D. Karthik and Bangalore, while Lucknow and Gujarat, the other new team, are the only sides to win 3 games on the trot.
After the loss to Bangalore, Rajasthan may well ponder bringing in J. Neesham to will the 4th overseas player slot. Neesham can contribute with both bat and ball, though it’s the lack of a consistent death-overs bowler that remains the main worry.
Lucknow will be further strengthened by the addition of M. Stoinis, who was away playing for Australia in the first week of the season. To accommodate him, it might be A. Tye that drops out of the XI. Both teams have an array of power-hitters, and what will make for fascinating viewing is the dream team match-up of the two leg-spinners, Rajasthan’s Y. Chahal and Lucknow’s R. Bishnoi.
It’s far too early to think of play-off spots, but with the established powers like Mumbai and Chennai having started the season so poorly, both these sides know that another victory will go a long way towards consolidating their places in the top half of the table.
Match Details
- Match: Rajasthan vs. Lucknow, Match 20
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Date & Time: Apr 10, 2022, at 7.30 PM IST
Rajasthan vs Lucknow Match 20 Probable Playing XIs
Team Rajasthan
J. Buttler, D. Padikkal, S. Samson (C & WK), R. Van der Dussen, S. Hetmyer, R. Parag, R. Ashwin, K Sen, T. Boult, Y. Chahal, P. Krishna
Team Lucknow
K.L. Rahul (C), Q. de Kock (WK), D. Hooda, M. Stoinis, K. Pandya, A. Badoni, K. Gowtham, J. Holder, D. Chameera, R. Bishnoi, A. Khan
Rajasthan vs Lucknow Head-to-Head Record
Lucknow being one of the two new sides in the Indian T20 League, this is their first meeting.
Weather Report
With Mumbai well into its summer, the temperatures will be close to 30°C even when the game begins on Sunday evening.
Pitch Report
The red clay at the Wankhede Stadium has always encouraged fast bowlers, while the short boundaries and consistent bounce make for attacking strokeplay. But in four games so far, the team batting first has crossed 160 runs just once, suggesting that conditions aren’t as batter-friendly as they have been in the past.
Toss
This is one venue where there has been a clear pattern, with the chasing team winning each of the four matches played so far.
Rajasthan vs Lucknow Match 20 Top Fantasy Picks
Team Rajasthan
- J. Buttler hasn’t actually been at his fluent best so far, but he already has a century and over 200 runs for the season. Opposition teams will hope he doesn’t find his sweetest timing any time soon.
- S. Hetmyer hasn’t even made a half century yet, but teams are terrified of his hitting power. His 109 runs so far have come off just 58 balls. If Buttler is tasked with landing the early blows, Hetmyer is the finisher.
- Y. Chahal had 7 mostly memorable years with Bangalore. Most were curious how he would settle into a new team. A tally of 7 wickets from three matches at an outstanding economy rate of 5.25 suggests there has been no difficulty whatsoever.
Team Lucknow
- Q. de Kock already has 2 half centuries for the season, including a match-winning 80 against Delhi. But like K.L. Rahul, he also hasn’t been at his free-stroking best so far. It’s a sign of how strong a unit Lucknow have that they still keep winning matches.
- A. Badoni was almost unknown when G. Gambhir asked Lucknow to give him a chance. His 102 runs so far have come at a superb strike rate of 156.92. He’s already shaping up as one of the discoveries of the season.
- R. Bishnoi served his leg-spin apprenticeship under A. Kumble with the Punjab team, but was not retained despite some eye-catching performances. So far this year, he has 4 wickets and an economy rate of less than 7. The googly remains his big weapon.
Rajasthan vs Lucknow Match 20 Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: Q. de Kock, S. Samson, J. Buttler, KL. Rahul
- Batters: E. Lewis, S. Hetmyer, A. Badoni
- All-rounder: J. Holder
- Bowlers: Y. Chahal, A. Khan, R. Bishnoi
- Captain: J. Buttler/Q. de Kock
- Vice Captain: R. Bishnoi/Y. Chahal
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own team from today’s fantasy match prediction and play all the fantasy cricket matches of the Indian T20 League 2022. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Download the favorite fantasy cricket app and select your own team, Howzat!
