Lucknow plays its first IPL match on home soil

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants will play at home for the first time in the Indian Premier League when it begins its Season 16 campaign with a clash against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

Super Giants, along with defending champion Gujarat Titans, had joined the IPL bandwagon last year, when all the league matches where hosted in Mumbai and Pune. Lucknow has a good squad at its disposal, with KL Rahul leading the charge.

Kyle Mayers could deputise for Quinton de Kock, who is with South Africa for the ongoing Netherlands ODI series. With Deepak Hooda, new recruit Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya in the team, LSG boasts of a power-packed middle-order. The pace duo of Mark Wood and Avesh Khan and young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi will be expected to deliver the goods in the bowling department.

As for Delhi, it will be without overseas pacers Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman besides Nortje for its first match. In their absence, left-arm fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Chetan Sakariya may have to bring their ‘A’ game to the park whenever called upon by newly appointed skipper David Warner. In the spin department, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm orthodox Axar Patel will be the key men.

Mitchell Marsh could be the lethal weapon of Delhi, which also has Warner, Prithvi Shaw and Rovman Powell in the batting unit to provide firepower. Marsh delivered a trailer of sorts in the recent India-Australia ODI series.