NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss on Tuesday and opted to field against Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Iyer included New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson in the playing XI, handing him his debut cap for Punjab Kings.
“We are going to bowl first. It’s a new ground, new pitch, dew could be a factor as well, and with this being a red-soil pitch, we want to chase. The players have the freedom to express themselves. You have to play the situation; the important goal is to win. We try to keep things simple. We don’t know how the pitch is going to play, but we have to adjust quickly. Lockie comes into the team,” Iyer said.
Known for his express pace, Ferguson had clocked a blistering 157.3 kmph during an IPL 2022 match against Rajasthan Royals.
Pant, meanwhile, retained the same XI for the match against Punjab Kings.
“We wanted to bowl first, but there are things that are not under our control, so happy to bat first. There are a lot of people who have come to support us, and we are definitely going to give our best. No changes for us,” Pant said.
Head-to-Head Record: LSG 3 – 1 PBKS
When these teams met in Lucknow last season, which was also LSG’s first home game, the hosts secured a 21-run victory.
Playing XIs:
Lucknow Super Giants:
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
Punjab Kings:
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
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