New Delhi, India

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be desperately looking to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Wednesday (May 18). LSG have lost their last two games in a row and are yet to confirm a spot in the playoffs despite having come close last week.

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LSG were on the top of the points table last week with 16 points from 11 matches when they had the chance to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs against Gujarat Titans. However, a humiliating defeat at the hands of GT followed by a loss against Rajasthan Royals in their last game have pushed them to the 3rd spot.

A win against KKR on Wednesday will see LSG qualify for the playoffs and also keep them in contention to finish in the top two. However, a loss can put them in a tricky situation and certainly push them out of the top two. KL Rahul & Co. will be looking to ensure they don't repeat their mistakes from their last outing against KKR on Tuesday.

While Lucknow's place in the top four is not in danger even if they lose against KKR, a defeat will end the Shreyas Iyer-led side's campaign in IPL 2022 on Wednesday. KKR have 12 points in 13 matches so far and have an outside chance of finishing in the top four if they can finish their campaign with 14 points.

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Also Read: KKR vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match?

KKR will be heading into the clash against LSG on a confident note having won their last two matches in a row. While their batters stepped up in their last game against SRH, Andre Russell and Tim Southee were brilliant with the ball as well to hand them a much-needed win.

Here is all you need to know about the LSG vs KKR clash in IPL 2022:

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Head to head:

Lucknow Super Giants lead 1-0 in the head-to-head record against Kolkata Knight Riders. KL Rahul's men had defeated Shreyas Iyer & Co. in the only meeting between the two teams earlier this season.

Stats:

Lucknow Super Giants have been heavily reliant on their top order so far this season. The top three of KL Rahul (469), Quinton de Kock (362) and Deepak Hooda (406) have scored as many as 61% of the total runs for the franchise this season.

Also Read: CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan Singh

Trivia:

Both LSG skipper KL Rahul and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer have struggled with the willow in the last few matches. While Rahul has managed only 101 runs in his last five innings for LSG, Iyer has scored only  115 runs in his last six innings at an average of just 19.17 and a poor strike rate of 104.55.

Predicted playing XIs:

Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock(w), KL Rahul(c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni/Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis/Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan

KKR: Venkatesh Iyer, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer(c), Sam Billings(w), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Varun Chakaravarthy