The 13th match of IPL 2025 will feature Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants going head-to-head. Both teams have secured one win each in the current season.
Sports News: On Tuesday, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium will host a thrilling encounter between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 13th match of IPL 2025. Both teams are aiming for their second win of the season. Lucknow defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match, while Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by 11 runs. Pitch conditions and weather could significantly impact both teams' performance; therefore, let's examine the nature of the Ekana pitch.
Ekana Stadium Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The Ekana Cricket Stadium pitch has generally favored bowlers, especially spinners. The black soil pitch has always presented a challenge for batsmen. While runs can be scored, batsmen need to work harder to stay at the crease. Statistically, 14 IPL matches have been played at this stadium, with the team batting first winning 7 and the team batting second winning 6.
The Lucknow weather during the match is expected to be ideal for play, with temperatures ranging from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius, comfortable for the players. The probability of rain is low, making the environment perfect for the game.
Team Strategies and Potential Changes
Lucknow Super Giants will be striving for their second win at their home ground, while Punjab Kings will have the same ambition. Lucknow might consider changes to their playing eleven. South African T20 captain Aiden Markram might be replaced by West Indies fast bowler Shamra Joseph. Markram had a disappointing performance in the previous two matches, scoring only 15 and 1 run. On the other hand, Punjab Kings are unlikely to make significant changes, likely sticking to the strategy that proved successful against Gujarat Titans.
Both Teams' Records at Ekana
Lucknow Super Giants have played 14 matches at the Ekana Stadium, winning 7 and losing 6. Their highest score here is 199 runs, and their lowest is 108 runs. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have played two matches here, winning one and losing one.
Total Matches: 14
Wins Batting First: 7
Wins Batting Second: 6
Wins After Winning Toss: 8
Wins After Losing Toss: 5
Highest Score: 235/6 (by KKR against Lucknow in 2023)
Lowest Score: 108 (Lucknow Super Giants against RCB in 2024)
Average First Innings Score: 165
Squads of Both Teams
Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Nehal Wadhera, Praveen Dubey, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Payal Avinash, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, and Josh Inglis.
Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Digvijay Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Manimaran Siddharth, Himmat Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breitzke, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Shamra Joseph, and Arshin Kulkarni.
