LSG vs CSK: When the Lucknow Super Giants take on Chennai Super Kings, it’s not just another IPL game it’s a battle between a team on the rise and another that’s trying to find its footing. As we approach the halfway mark of IPL 2025, on the one hand, we have LSG, a unit brimming with confidence and vigour, while on the other, CSK, caught in a vortex of poor performances, is hoping for redemption.
April 14 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh in India, was more than just a date on the calendar; it was a pivotal moment. Chennai Super Kings, once the mightiest of the IPL, enter this match with just one win from six matches. It’s not just a poor form it’s a major crisis. MS Dhoni’s side, which once used to set the tone of the league, is now finding itself struggling to adapt to modern-day T20 strategies.
In contrast, LSG has put together a strong campaign, brushing aside initial criticisms of their auction strategy and player injuries. Led by Rishabh Pant, with Nicholas Pooran’s explosive batting and Aiden Markram’s returning form, the team has not only found balance but also aggression.
Significance for the playoff race
For CSK, another loss will put an end to any realistic hopes of making it to the playoffs. For LSG, this is a chance to top the points table and strengthen their hold on a playoff berth.
The IPL is known for late-season comebacks, but the window is closing fast for CSK. With every loss, the psychological burden increases, and fans start questioning strategies, selections, and even the leadership. While LSG need their top order to continue performing well, because, in the playoffs, momentum is everything.
LSG Team Form and Recent Performances
When this IPL season began, LSG was not considered the tournament favourites. With injuries to key fast bowlers and questions over their captain’s form, critics quickly wrote them off. But cricket, as always, is a game of glorious uncertainties. Enter Nicholas Pooran – the Caribbean powerhouse whose bat has spoken louder than any doubts. With a strike rate of over 215 and 67 sixes this season, he has turned into every bowler’s nightmare.
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Add Markram’s class, David Miller’s patience, and Rishabh Pant’s calmness – this team has found a winning formula. Most importantly, they have shown resilience. Be it a batting collapse or the opposition’s bowling attack, LSG have kept their composure. Bowling-wise, the emergence of young spinner Digvijay Rathi and the form of Ravi Bishnoi have further strengthened their attack. Even without a fully fit pace lineup, they have managed to restrict teams and pick up wickets at crucial moments.
Here is CSK’s worrying decline: five consecutive losses. For a franchise built on consistency and tradition, this is very worrying. Their batting has been particularly poor. None of CSK’s batsmen feature in the top 10 run-scorers this season. The best of them, Rachin Ravindra, has scored just 149 runs. Compare this to LSG, whose top three bowlers are demolishing bowling attacks for fun. In a sport where 150+ strike rates are common, CSK’s collective strike rate of 124 is shockingly low.
Even the bowling unit, which used to be their pride, is lacking substance. Noor Ahmed has taken wickets, yes, but others like Ashwin and Khaleel Ahmed have been inconsistent. Unless they gain firepower quickly, this could be one of the worst seasons in CSK’s history.
MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bowl first – a classic CSK move. Over the years, Dhoni has preferred to chase targets, trusting his team’s ability to read the pitch and scoreboard pressure. But nothing has gone according to script this IPL.
Why bowl first in a must-win match on a ground where 6 out of 10 matches have been won by the chasing team? Maybe Dhoni is trying to turn the tables once again.
Key changes
One of the most notable moves was the inclusion of Jamie Overton and the debut of Sheikh Rashid. Surprisingly, Devon Conway was dropped – a decision that surprised people. For LSG, Mitchell Marsh returns in place of Himmat Singh. Marsh’s absence in the previous game due to personal reasons had created a void in the middle order, but his return added balance. Meanwhile, Ravi Bishnoi and Digvijay Rathi continued as the spin anchors, while Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur handled the pace bowling duties.
Head-to-head record
This was the sixth time these two teams faced each other, and the statistics do not look good for CSK. Of the last five encounters, LSG won three. One was washed out due to rain, and CSK managed just one win. There is no doubt that this is a one-sided record.
What is even more damaging is that LSG seems to overpower CSK with their aggressive powerplay starts and impressive spinners – both areas where CSK has struggled badly this season.
Record at Ekana Stadium
At the Ekana Stadium, LSG again has the edge. Of the two team encounters here, one ended in a win for LSG and the other ended in a no result; CSK is yet to win a game at this venue. The large ground dimensions and turning track do not suit their playing style, which is still heavily reliant on seam-friendly conditions and slow surfaces.