The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 16th match of the IPL 2025. This match will be played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, India on April 4 at 7:30 PM IST. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) currently sitting at the sixth spot on the points table, take on the mighty Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday, April 4, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Since they came into existence in 2022, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have the joint-best head-to-head record against Mumbai Indians (MI). LSG have a 5-1 record against the five-time champions, but face them in Lucknow with problems to solve.
LSG vs MI : Previous Performances
Super Giants will be coming into the game after a loss in their previous clash. The Rishabh Pant-led side suffered a disappointing defeat to Punjab Kings at home, handing them their second win of the season. Taking on the five-time champions, the Mumbai side, LSG will aim to register their second win of the season.
Lucknow Super Giants played three matches this season, where they won one game. On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians played three matches this season, where they won one game. Lucknow Super Giants played their last game against Punjab Kings, where Punjab Kings beat them by 8 wickets. Nicholas Pooran managed to score 44 runs for Lucknow Super Giants in that game.
Mumbai Indians played their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders, where they won by 8 wickets. Ryan Rickelton smashed 62 runs while Ashwani Kumar grabbed 4 wickets for the Mumbai Indians in that game.
On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians began the season with back-to-back losses, however, they registered an emphatic win over defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, to get their campaign back on track. The Hardik Pandya-led side currently finds themselves in fifth place in the standings, and will be hoping to carry on their winning momentum forward.
LSG vs MI : Head to Head
LSG 5 – 1 MI. The last time the teams met in Lucknow, LSG chased MI’s 144 for 7 in the last over. These two teams have played 6 matches against each other in the history of IPL, where Lucknow Super Giants won 5 matches while Mumbai Indians won 1 game.
| Matches Played | 6 |
| Won by Lucknow Super Giants | 5 |
| Won by Mumbai Indians | 1 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | April 16, 2022 |
| Most-recent Fixture | May 17, 2024 |
LSG vs MI : Pitch and Weather Report
The Ekana Stadium pitch is a complete red soil surface known for its pace and bounce. Despite being a high-scoring venue, its long boundaries provide some respite for the bowlers. The pitch has an even grass covering, ensuring minimal seam movement but providing some turn and bounce for the spinners.
Traditionally, the surface has been slow, making it challenging for batters as the ball does not come onto the bat easily. Spinners thrive here, using the grip and turn to their advantage, while pacers with variations can be effective. Dew is unlikely to play a major role. The team that wins the toss will look to bowl first and restrict the opposition to a low score.
This IPL, home advantage has become a hot topic. The red-soil pitch LSG played on against Punjab Kings did not impress their mentor Zaheer Khan, who went on to say that it looked like the opposition’s curator prepared it. Against MI, LSG will switch over to a black-soil surface, which is expected to be more spin-friendly. That could help LSG’s spinners, but they will be wary of the move backfiring against MI’s own spin contingent.
A black-soil pitch, with one of the sides even shorter than the last match. Five of the last six IPL matches here have been won by the chasing side, but no dew is expected on match day.
The scores at this venue have shot up since the square was re-laid ahead of the 2023 World Cup, but they are nowhere near what most other IPL venues promise since the Impact Rule rule kicked in. Part of that is to do with the large ground dimensions, which has meant that it’s been harder to hit your way out of trouble after an early stutter. Negotiating the powerplay, which LSG didn’t do very well in their last match, will be crucial again.
In the only match that has been played at the venue so far, the chasing team won the game very comfortably. Given the way the pitch behaved in the previous match, it is expected that the captain winning the toss will look to field first. The skies are expected to be clear during the game and the weather is expected to be warm.
The highest temperature during the game will be around 26°C with very little chance of rain. Temperatures in Lucknow could touch 38 degrees Celsius during the day, but could cool down considerably by the time the game starts at 7.30pm. There’s no chance of rain.
LSG vs MI : Batting yet to click for both LSG and MI especially Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma.
A new squad under a new captain Rishabh Pant. 40,000 odd in attendance. First home game of the season. The way Lucknow Super Giants tanked against Punjab Kings would have hurt. And it was evident in their newly-appointed mentor Zaheer Khan’s short but explosive press conference, where he expressed disappointment at not only the loss but also the playing surface, going as far as saying that it felt like it was prepared by a “Punjab curator”. Oops.
That Lucknow, with its slow surfaces and large boundaries, isn’t a routine venue for 200+ scores has been established over the years. In fact, there’s only ever been one total above 200 since it started hosting IPL matches. The disappointment, it’s understood, stemmed less from the pitch itself and more from how it was interpreted in the leadup to the match. Perhaps expecting the red-soil pitch to behave a bit differently, LSG played only two pacers and four spin options as opposed to PBKS, who bowled as many as 13 overs of pace and to good effect.
Learning things the hard way, LSG are expected to revisit their playing combination for this match against Mumbai Indians, especially on a black-soil pitch that didn’t have much in it for the spinners last season. Fit-again Akash Deep’s return to the squad will be a huge bonus and the pacer, who fronted the press on match eve, sounded confident about his match fitness.
With the bat, Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh have played impactful knocks. But the others, including Rishabh Pant, are yet to perform. Pant has only made 17 runs in three innings, while Ayush Badoni, whom LSG had retained, has made 51. Aiden Markram has also had a slow start to the season, and that compounds LSG’s woes after they were hit by injuries to fast bowlers Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan. Akash is now fit to play his first game of the season.
MI, having finally gotten on the board, would have travelled to Lucknow with a huge sigh of relief but sterner tests await them in Uttar Pradesh’s capital. It would take some adjusting to the pitch, which will not have the intrinsic pace and bounce like Wankhede. Playing away from home anyway has been an issue for them lately, with 13 losses in 18 away games since the start of IPL 2023.
MI began their season with back-to-back losses before bouncing back with a comprehensive win against Kolkata Knight Riders. Even without Jasprit Bumrah, MI have been among the best bowling sides this season: they are second-best in terms of wickets taken, average and economy rate.
As for their batting, Suryakumar Yadav seems to be back in form, while Ryan Rickelton made a rapid half-century against KKR. But Rohit Sharma’s low returns – just 21 runs in three innings – remain a concern. This contest, then, could be a test of both teams’ batting.
LSG vs MI : In the spotlight : Ravi Bishnoi, and MI’s spinners
Ravi Bishnoi is LSG’s highest wicket-taker since 2022. LSG retained him for INR 11 crore, but he has been expensive so far this season. He has three wickets in 11 overs at an economy rate of 12.54. In the middle overs, Bishnoi’s eight overs have for gone at 12.25 per over. The next highest for anyone to have bowled at least that many overs during that phase is Ravindra Jadeja’s 8.32. LSG will hope Bishnoi, their prime spinner, is back in rhythm before it’s too late.
Mitchell Santner (left-arm orthodox), Puthur (left-arm wrist spin), Mujeeb and Jacks (both offspinners) lend plenty of depth and variety to MI’s spin department. MI have the second-best economy rate (8.12) and the third-best average (27.28) of all spin-bowling teams this season, and could field three of their four spinners in Lucknow, where, if the pitch provides turn, LSG’s batters might not have it easy.
LSG vs MI : Vital Stats that matters
- Since 2017, 15 batters have at least 2500 runs in the IPL. Of them, Rohit Sharma has the lowest strike rate(130.09). His team-mate Suryakumar Yadav is third best at 147.98.
- Since the start of 2024, Nicholas Pooran comfortably leads the six-hitting charts in all T20 cricket. He has smashed 202 sixes in this period, and is far ahead of Heinrich Klaasen (121) in second place.
- Of the regular home grounds of the ten IPL teams since 2022, Lucknow has been the second-best-spin-bowling venue behind Mullanpur in terms of both economy rate (7.44) and average (26.07).
- Of the six sub-150 totals defended in the IPL since 2022, three have been against LSG.
- Avesh doesn’t have a very good record in Lucknow, with only three wickets in five matches at an average of 48.66, SR of 34 and ER of 8.58.
LSG vs MI : Team News for LSG and MI
Lucknow Super Giants
Injuries/Availability: Akash Deep has joined the squad while Mayank Yadav continues to recover at BCCI’s newly-built Centre of Excellence (COE). Akash sounded optimistic about Mayank joining the squad “soon”. Akash is ready to go for LSG after recovering from the back injury he suffered last December. He could replace Avesh, who has gone for 75 runs in seven overs this season, and taken just one wicket.
Tactics and match-ups: Avesh Khan has been effective against Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, but if he doesn’t cut it with the new ball, Ravi Bishnoi comes in with great numbers against two key MI batters too. The leggie has dismissed both Rohit Sharma [in six innings] and Suryakumar [in seven innings] three times each.
LSG Probable XII: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (WK/C), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav/Akash Deep
Mumbai Indians
Injuries/Availability: No reported injuries in the camp.
Tactics and match-ups: Bowling spin to Rishabh Pant first up is a good option. The LSG captain has only 17 runs at a strike-rate of 65.38 in three outings this year so far. And his numbers against spin are even dire: 6 runs, 13 balls, 2 dismissals
MI Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur/Satyanarayana Raju
Fantasy Team for LSG vs MI : Nicholas Pooran, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Tilak Varma, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Santner, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh
LSG vs MI : Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Suryakumar Yadav
Star Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav could be the best batter in the upcoming game against the Lucknow Super Giants. Yadav has found his form back after a series of disappointing outings ahead of the competition. In three games, he has managed to score 104 runs, including a handy cameo of 27* against Kolkata Knight Riders, to guide MI to their first win of the series. The right-handed batter would be keen on putting in another show in the upcoming game.
Probable Best Bowler: Digvesh Singh Rathi
Lucknow’s spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi could be the best bowler in the side’s fourth game of the season. With five wickets in three matches, Rathi has been in brilliant form, and his spell could go a long way in propelling his side to a win. Notably, the 25-year-old will enjoy the wicket favouring spinners and will look to make the most of it.
LSG vs MI : Match Prediction
Considering their impressive squad roster, Lucknow Super Giants are expected to dominate this match and secure a convincing win.
Scenario 1
- Lucknow Super Giants win the toss and bowl
- PP Score – 40-50
- MI- 180-200
- Lucknow Super Giants win the match
Scenario 2
- Mumbai Indians win the toss and bowl
- PP score – 50-60
- LSG- 200-220
- Mumbai Indians win the match