IPL 2026: Injury-hit CSK look to turn playoff push into top-four surge, face LSG
Chennai Super Kings, buoyed by recent momentum and a strong batting lineup, face a growing injury list as they aim to secure a playoff spot. Lucknow Super Giants, already out of contention, play for pride and aim to disrupt CSK's charge in their upcoming clash.
LUCKNOW: Chennai Super Kings will arrive in Lucknow with momentum, opportunity and a growing injury list. Lucknow Super Giants, already out of the playoff race, have only pride left to play for when the two sides meet at the Ekana Stadium on Friday. For CSK, the stakes are sharper.
They are fifth on the table with 12 points and another win could lift them into the top four and strengthen their push for the playoffs. For LSG, who have managed just three wins from 11 matches, the final stretch is about salvaging a disappointing campaign and giving their home crowd something to cheer about. The teams are meeting for the second time in less than a week.
At Chepauk on May 10, CSK chased down 204 with four balls to spare to beat LSG by five wickets, a result that gave Chennai their third successive win and pushed them to fifth on the points table. That chase also underlined the firepower CSK now possess. Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad gave them a brisk start before Urvil Patel changed the course of the game with a stunning 65 off 23 balls.
Patel’s 13-ball fifty equalled Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record for the fastest half-century in IPL history. Samson has been one of CSK’s major batting positives this season, while Gaikwad has continued to offer assurance at the top. Patel’s emergence has added a new dimension to the middle order, and Shivam Dube’s late blows in the previous meeting against LSG showed that Chennai have options even when a chase tightens.
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