SRH vs LSG Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are currently the only team in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) who have taken just two points from their last five matches.
They've lost their skipper KL Rahul to a season-ending injury, with Krunal Pandya taking over the reins. LSG have been forced into making a few changes at the top of the order and consequently to their overseas combination too, but are yet to arrive at the ideal lineup.
The Super Giants currently have five wins from 11 matches. While their recent form has served as a setback, their qualification hopes are still well and truly in their hands. If Lucknow can win their game in hand, they can leapfrog the Rajasthan Royals (RR), who are currently placed fourth, in the standings.
LSG will be up against another team hungry for success on Saturday, May 13. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), currently placed ninth with eight points, lie in wait at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
SRH might be only one rung off the bottom of the ladder, but they've played just 10 games thus far. If they win both their matches in hand, they could technically move within touching distance of a playoff berth.
Hyderabad are on the back of a fortuitous win over RR, with Sandeep Sharma's no-ball and Abdul Samad's huge hit down the ground still fresh in memory. However, they've experimented with a few combinations in the recent past after being forced to drop some of their big-ticket buys at the IPL 2023 auction.
Can LSG rediscover momentum as the playoff race reaches its conclusion? Or can SRH make a late dash to the top four?
IPL 2023, SRH vs LSG Match Prediction: Inconsistent teams face off with a lot on the line
SRH's batting lineup now doesn't feature Mayank Agarwal and Harry Brook. Anmolpreet Singh and Glenn Phillips, their replacements, made important contributions against the Royals. The latter even claimed the Player of the Match award for his seven-ball, 25-run effort.
Hyderabad's batting seems to be coming together, but they still have a few issues to address. Captain Aiden Markram hasn't scored a great deal of runs this year, leaving Heinrich Klaasen with too much to do in the middle order. The all-rounders haven't been particularly great, either.
LSG, meanwhile, seem bolstered by the addition of Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. The southpaw hammered 70 in his maiden IPL 2023 appearance, although his inclusion creates the possibility of an off-spin matchup against him and opening partner Kyle Mayers.
The Super Giants fielded an all-Indian bowling attack against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their previous game. Avesh Khan turned in a decent display, but Mohsin Khan looked rusty in his first outing of the season. Ravi Bishnoi, meanwhile, was bizarrely used for only two overs.
Tactical nous, or lack thereof, has been LSG's biggest roadblock in IPL 2023. Bishnoi needs to be handed more responsibility, Nicholas Pooran needs to bat higher up the order, and captain Krunal needs to understand these things before it's too late.
While SRH are definitely in with a chance of taking two points, LSG are the slight favorites for this encounter - assuming, of course, that they are on point tactically.
Prediction: LSG to win Match 58 of IPL 2023.