🏏IPL 2024: Match 44 - LSG vs RR in Lucknow @ 7:30PM IST🏏 - Page 4

The pitch is not bang in the centre of the square, meaning that the square boundaries are slightly skewed - 66m to one side, 73m to the other. 80m hit straight down the ground. The surface is "black-clay", says Matthew Hayden. There are a few cracks, and the ball could spin off it. There is still a lovely covering of grass and it has been rolled in nicely, and Hayden adds that we should expect more runs, possibly a score in the 180-190 range.

These teams last met on the opening weekend of this season. The Royals, having posted 193, did enough to keep the Super Giants at bay, registering a 20-run victory. The table-toppers will not mind a performance of that ilk today.

The Royals, in fact, have only lost once all season, and have been the team to beat. LSG have not scaled those peaks yet, but after reeling off two successive wins, have lofty ambitions themselves. Will they make it three wins in a row, dent the Royals for just the second time this campaign and move up to second? Or will the Royals make it eight wins out of nine?

"Is Mayank Yadav available this match, he has been real difference for LSG this season" -- No confirmation yet on whether he will play tonight, but LSG assistant coach S Sriram said that Mayank was pretty close to returning to action.

Yash Thakur - The mode of preparations change - it's very different when compared to domestic cricket, there are international players here, so we have to spend time and have chats with the bowling coach, make use of their experience well. I believe as a bowler you should have an economy rate in the region of 8-9 rpo, that range gives you an ideal chance of putting pressure and taking wickets. I don't think too much (about plans), but looking at the amount of runs being scored in the last few games, it also gives you a chance of taking wickets. I execute all my skills at the nets and before the match starts so that I'm well prepared to face the situation during the course of the game. I go by instincts, but I generally do some homework, look at where the batter is strong and what are his weak points.

All four matches between the Royals and the Super Giants have been won by the side batting first. The four games at this venue this season, though, have been split evenly between the team chasing and the team defending. What will the captain winning the toss want to do? We will 0find out in about ten minutes.

It's toss time. Home captain Rahul is out there, alongside Samson.

RR won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Rajasthan Royals have won the toss and have opted to field

Rovman Powell: (On so many 200+ scores) I think it is getting a bit boring now. It is getting boring in the sense there is not a lot of challenge between bat and ball, it is predominantly one-sided in favor of batters. Hopefully, through the competition it can become a bit even. (On his prep) You don’t know the situations that you will get yourself in, so you still have to prepare in a wholistic way on what may happen in the game. Teams have started putting more emphasis on the middle phase. Teams get a lot more runs in the middle phase and not leave a lot for the last five. The thought process is to be aggressive throughout. (On playoffs) We had a talk today about staying in the moment, can’t look too far. We haven’t qualified yet and we know how important it is to finish in the top two. (On his bowling) In the last few games, I whispered in Sanju’s ears saying I can bowl an over or two. When every bowler is getting hit, you try your best to spread the leaks. Not ensure that only one bowler gets all the damage.