Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. The decision came as both teams looked to adapt to a pitch that Pant described as slightly tacky.
Pant Explains Bowling Decision
Speaking at the toss, Pant said, 'We're looking to bowl first. The wicket is looking a little bit tacky, so we just need to go out there and bowl ourselves. As a team, we have a lot to achieve. We run on trust, and that is something we are looking forward to.' He further added that Akash Maharaj Singh is playing his first game of the season, and the team is experimenting with a few combinations for the next season. 'We are trying a few things for the next season for sure, and just looking to give our 200% regardless of anything.'
When asked about the pressure due to LSG's performances this season, Pant acknowledged, 'Definitely, there is no running away from the way we have played this season. But at the same time, there is a lot of positive we can take because we are a little frustrated as a team. We know we have it in the team, and we can make it happen. Sometimes things don't work your way, but no complaints from that side. We've got to still play good cricket and look to improve ourselves each and every day.'
Pant confirmed two changes to the playing XI, with Abdul Samad and Mukul Choudhary coming in. LSG also named Australian batter Josh Inglis among the impact substitutes, with the expectation that he will bat in the second innings.
Gaikwad on CSK's Approach
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed his pride in wearing the yellow jersey and emphasized the need to bat well and put up a competitive total. 'It is a privilege to have the support, privilege to wear the yellow jersey. It's a kind of venue where you have to bat well and bowl well. So I think, batting first, we still have to put up a good score, and we have seen that it has been defended as well. So I think, yes, it might suit, look like there's a bit of moisture to start with, but if we bat well and score around 170-180, it will be a good total to defend.'
Addressing the team's injury concerns, Gaikwad said, 'Honestly, it's tough. Obviously, you have to keep changing a lot once you find momentum and a squad, you want to keep going. But this is something we cannot control. With that said, I think it gives opportunities to a lot of players who want to represent CSK and be part of the IPL. So, whatever replacements we have had, Urvil coming in and at some point Mukesh coming in as well, that has definitely helped them grow individually and gives us confidence going ahead. We know we have good backups in, so whenever we have a good squad, we are quite confident we'll deliver.'
Gaikwad noted that every game is a must-win for CSK now. 'We just want to take one game at a time. Yes, it's hard to ignore the table, but we want to still keep our eyes down here, adapt to the pitch accordingly, and make sure we are the best team to adapt.' He confirmed two changes for CSK, with Spencer Johnson making his debut and Gurjapneet Singh coming in for Akeal Hosein.
Playing XIs and Impact Substitutes
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI):
- Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain)
- Urvil Patel
- Kartik Sharma
- Dewald Brevis
- Shivam Dube
- Prashant Veer
- Anshul Kamboj
- Noor Ahmad
- Spencer Johnson
- Mukesh Choudhary
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI):
- Mitchell Marsh
- Nicholas Pooran
- Aiden Markram
- Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper/captain)
- Mukul Choudhary
- Abdul Samad
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Mohammed Shami
- Mayank Yadav
- Akash Maharaj Singh
- Prince Yadav
Impact Substitutes:
Chennai Super Kings: Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, Matt Henry
Lucknow Super Giants: Josh Inglis, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni
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