Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026
Match summary
Our IPL 2026 preview of Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals at Ekana Stadium: team form, likely XIs, pitch and weather notes, and our pick.
Match details
| Match | Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals, 32nd Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 22 Apr 2026 |
| Start time | 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Rajasthan Royals |
| Toss pick | Lucknow Super Giants |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals meet in the 32nd match of IPL 2026 in contrasting moods. Lucknow won two of their first three but have since lost three straight and sit in the bottom three with 4 points and a net run rate of -1.173. Their latest defeat came by 54 runs against Punjab Kings, who made 254/7 after being put in.
The top order is the main worry for Rishabh Pant’s side. Aiden Markram leads their run-scorers on 162, with Mitchell Marsh on 155, Pant on 147, Ayush Badoni on 148 and debutant Mukul Choudhary on the same tally, while Nicholas Pooran has just 51. Young seamer Prince Yadav, with 11 wickets, has been the bowling bright spot.
Rajasthan won their first four, including victories over CSK, Mumbai Indians and RCB, before losses to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders left them on four wins from six. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has 246 runs and Yashasvi Jaiswal 223, with Dhruv Jurel adding 181 at number three, though captain Riyan Parag has managed only 60. Archer, Nandre Burger and Ravi Bishnoi give the attack plenty of bite. Our preview gives Rajasthan the edge.
The Ekana Stadium surface is known to be slow and to help spin, with low to medium bounce that gets slower as the game wears on. Spinners matter in the middle overs, and seamers do best with cutters and changes of pace rather than raw speed. Batters need time to settle. Scores of 140–160 are normally competitive in T20s here, and teams often bat first, although dew at night can help chasers.
Conditions are forecast to stay hot and dry after sunset, with temperatures around 34–36°C and a mostly clear, slightly hazy sky. The chance of rain is very low, so a full game is expected. A light breeze may help a little, and dew is expected to be limited.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 170–185 | – |
| Second innings | 160–175 | – |
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan arrive with four wins from six and a strong bowling group, while Lucknow have lost three in a row.
Toss pick: Lucknow Super Giants
FAQ
When is Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals?
The 32nd match of IPL 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday 22 April 2026, with a 7:30 pm local start in Lucknow.
Who is our pick for this match?
Our preview picks Rajasthan Royals, given their stronger recent record and bowling attack, though Lucknow are expected to win the toss.
Who are the leading wicket-takers in this fixture?
Prince Yadav has 11 wickets for Lucknow, and Ravi Bishnoi leads the Rajasthan chart with 10, ahead of Jofra Archer on 8.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Lucknow Super Giants
- Aiden Markram
- Mitchell Marsh
- Rishabh Pantc, wk
- Nicholas Pooran
- Ayush Badoni
- Mukul Choudhary
- Mohammed Shami
- Avesh Khan
- Prince Yadav
- Manimaran Siddharth
- Mohsin Khan
Rajasthan Royals
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Dhruv Jurelwk
- Riyan Paragc
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Donovan Ferreira
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jofra Archer
- Nandre Burger
- Brijesh Sharma
- Ravi Bishnoi