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After a promising start, Lucknow Super Giants' 2025 IPL campaign started to sink, leaving slim chances for playoff qualification.
Find out what went wrong and everyone's answer to the ultimate question: Can LSG make it to the top 4 in IPL 2025?
LSG in IPL 2025 so far
LSG won 5 matches out of 11 played so far, with a poor net run rate of -0.469 and 10 points. They had a decent start to the tournament with players like Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi stepping out for the team.
They struggled to build momentum later on in the tournament, which led them to just 1 victory in their last 5 matches.
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Performance breakdown:
- Position: 7th position in points table
- Matches played: 11 matches
- Wins: 5 matches
- Losses: 6 matches
- Points: 10 points
- Net Run Rate (NRR): -0.469, which is the worst among the top seven teams
What exactly went wrong?
The following factors significantly disrupted LSG's gameplay, which resulted in their miserable position for the playoffs:
- Rishabh Pant's poor form: Captain Rishabh Pant is having a disappointing season with the bat, which has practically crushed the team's backbone. He managed to score only 128 runs in 11 innings with a strike rate below 100.
- Inconsistent top-order: The opening pair, despite having good individual performances, haven't consistently fired together.
- Middle-order Reliance: Players like Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad have shown brilliance in some matches, but they weren't enough to carry the team forward after their regular collapse of top order.
- Bowling Inconsistencies: LSG's bowling attack has failed with their execution in matches, and was seen struggling to contain the batters in the death overs.
- Poor Fielding: They dropped catches at crucial times in the game, which cost them heavily. Additionally, the players could have saved more runs with more on-field efforts.
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Playoff scenario and hopes for a miraculous comeback
LSG currently has a huge burden of net run rate, which can have a damaging impact even if they win their 3 remaining matches in IPL 2025. They can reach a maximum of 16 points to end the group stage.
In IPL, ending with 16 points would promise a place in the top 4, but the scenario for LSG is different this year. Additionally, they will also need other factors to be in their favour.
Factors and mathematical possibilities
The chances are slim, but here's what they need to consider for qualification:
- Last 3 hurdles: They have 3 remaining matches to play with RCB (9th May), GT (14th May), and SRH (18th May).
- Wins required: LSG must win all three matches with huge margins to make their NRR better.
- Reliance on other teams: They will need to depend on other teams to lose which will be beneficial for them in case of tie-breakers of same points. The team having a better NRR will eventually qualify.
- Elimination Scenario: LSG will be eliminated from IPL 2025 playoff contention if they lose a single match. They will also lose their chances of being in the top-4 if rain washes away any of their matches.