The Lucknow Super Giants will play the Gujarat Titans in the 26th match of the 2025 Indian Premier League at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The game will be played on April 12 at 3:30 PM IST.

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) welcome the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 12, Saturday, in the 26th game of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Lucknow has two wins and one loss in three matches. The team, under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, has won its recent matches. In their previous match, LSG beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders by four runs in a high-scoring, thrilling match at Eden Gardens.

Gujarat Titans top the points table after winning four out of their initial five games. Having suffered an 11-run defeat to Punjab Kings at the beginning of the season, Shubman Gil and Co. have rebounded to win four matches in a row. They last played at Ahmedabad, beating Rajasthan Royals by 58 runs. Gujarat will be seeking to keep their winning streak alive with a win on Saturday.

Match Preview

Lucknow Super Giants

The Lucknow Super Giants have done well this year, winning three of their five games, including the last two. This has put the team on fifth position in the points table.

Batting, particularly the top-order batting, has been Lucknow's strongest suit this season. Mitchell Marsh has been as tough an opener as can be imagined, with four half-centuries from five games. He has got an ideal partner in Aiden Markram, who is typically an anchor.

Nicholas Pooran has also been very consistent at number three and is the tournament's top run-getter. Middle order has been a bit patchy. There are some quality batsmen like Rishabh Pant, David Miller, and Abdul Samad, but they have been quite inconsistent. Pant, especially, couldn't really get going and managed to score just 19 runs in four games.

LSG's bowling also requires work. Except for Digvesh Rathi, all bowlers managed a worse-than-10-run economy per over. Shardul Thakur is the side's top wicket-taker with nine wickets and is most likely to get more support from Avesh Khan and Akash Deep, who have managed six wickets between them. Ravi Bishnoi also fought a bit.".

Gujarat Titans

Following a disastrous beginning to their home game against Punjab, which they lost, the Gujarat Titans have since then won four on the trot. They are currently at the top of the table and more and more resemble a team nobody wants to play against.

The opening three of Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler are taking their time to settle. Sudharsan, especially, is in a different class altogether – he has made 273 runs in five games, average 54.60, and strike rate 151.66. The left-handed opener has already hit three half-centuries, including 82 runs off 53 in the previous game against Rajasthan Royals, which helped the team win by 58 runs.

Gill has not been so consistent, but he's a batsman who is never out of reach of a big scorer. We feel he is due for a 40-plus score in this match. Sherfane Rutherford in the middle order has been going about his job quietly and efficiently – 136 runs at 178.94 strike rate in five matches says a lot.

GT employed Washington Sundar as an impact sub recently for the first time this season in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He replied with 49 runs on 29 runs when the team was struggling at 16 for 2. This might be the perfect match for him to play again.

With the ball, the core group has been doing the bulk of the work. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have been successful, and Sai Kishore has kept it tight. Siraj is taking early wickets, while Kishore has been neat in the middle overs with a 7.25 economy. Together, Siraj and Kishore have 20 wickets.

Rashid Khan hasn't reached top speed yet, but the slow surface at Ekana could be the making of him. This attack has been the key to GT's success, and these conditions should be right up their street.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Ekana Stadium typically offers a level playing field, but the last game was quite the run-fest. You’ll find the surface is mostly flat, though there are some green and bare patches scattered about. The ball can sometimes bounce unpredictably, but once it finds its groove, batsmen can really make their mark. On average, first-innings scores hover around 180, but with how teams have been batting this year, they'll definitely be aiming for that 200-run milestone.

Toss Prediction

In the last ten matches played at this venue, half were won by teams batting first and the other half by those chasing. Interestingly, in eight of those games, the captain who won the toss opted to bowl first, and we anticipate that trend will hold.

Weather Report

With only a 5% chance of disruption, we anticipate that the weather will have a minimal impact on the match. The temperature is expected to peak at 35°C and dip to a low of 23°C during the game.

Head to Head

In their recent clash, the Gujarat Titans came out on top with a 4-1 record against the Lucknow Super Giants. Last season, these two teams faced off, and LSG took the win.

Venue Details

At the Ekana Cricket Stadium, first innings scores usually hover around 166. Last IPL season, the Kolkata Knight Riders set the bar high with a stunning total of 235-6 against the Lucknow Super Giants, clinching a solid 98-run victory. After the first two matches of IPL 2025 at Ekana, both teams will be aiming for a target of 190-200 runs to ensure they can defend their totals effectively.

Match Prediction

Both the Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans come into this match riding the wave of recent victories and are eager to keep that momentum going. LSG's strategy is pretty straightforward: they need Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran to step up with the bat, while the bowlers must keep things tight. On the other hand, Gujarat seems to have a bit more versatility, which has helped them adapt to different conditions without breaking a sweat. If Marsh and Pooran find their rhythm, LSG could really make a game of it. Plus, with Digvesh Rathi in the mix, they bring an element of unpredictability with their bowling. However, if LSG's top order falters, it’s likely that Gujarat will seize control. Given the well-rounded nature of the GT team, they appear to be the safer bet.

So, go ahead and back the Gujarat Titans to take home the win in this competition.

Betting Tips

We're leaning towards a win for the Gujarat Titans. They've got a solid lineup that has been performing well across the board. Plus, their teamwork has been impressive, which is a significant advantage. On the flip side, LSG tends to depend heavily on their top order to pull through. Still, we can expect another thrilling match ahead. When it comes to their head-to-head, LSG has a win percentage of 51% against GT, which slightly favors Gujarat.

Bet on GT.

Probable Playing XI

Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Rathi.

Gujarat Titans Playing XI

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Lucknow Super Giants Key Players

Nicholas Pooran was excellent last season and has again performed superbly this season. He has scored 288 runs this season and is the top run-getter for his team, so our choice for our top bet in the next match is him.

Mitchell Marsh has made four half-centuries in five games this season. He is a suitable choice for this match.

Shardul Thakur did not perform very well in the previous game but still managed to get two wickets. He has nine wickets in this season and is his team's top wicket-taker, which is why he is our first choice for the next game.

Gujarat Titans Key Players

Sai Sudharsan has again been sensational for the Gujarat Titans this year. He provided consistent performances and scored 273 runs, which made him the leading run-scorer of his team and our pick for the next game.

Mohammad Siraj maintained his fine form in the previous match, ending with a bowling figure of 1/30. With ten wickets, he is among the top wicket-takers for GT and hence our choice for the next match.

Rashid Khan will be the spearhead of GT's spin-bowling attack and is a useful budget option against this team.