IPL 2023: LSG vs MI, Today Match Prediction - Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians travel to the north of India to face Krunal Pandya-led Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Cricket Stadium. After making a slow start in their IPL 2023 campaign, MI are back at business in the second half of the tournament. They face Lucknow at one of the most challenging tracks of the season. Let's see how these two can fare against each other in the 63rd match of IPL 2023.
Suryakumar and co.'s litmus test in Lucknow
Mumbai Indians are a team to reckon with when they are chasing. They have scaled 200-plus totals one after the other this season and is well led by their star batter Suryakumar Yadav. The MI star has stormed back in form in the last seven innings. He has amassed 413 runs in the last 7 games at a staggering strike rate of 202. But most of these runs have come at home in Mumbai, where batting is like a blessing this season. But this is not true at LSG's home. The venue has the least run rate and the least average by batters among all venues this year. This brings Suryakumar and MI's red-hot batting form under the scanner. Can they clinch this crucial game?
LSG's hope to end win drought at home
If MI would be hoping to surpass this litmus test at Ekana, they can take courage from LSG's record at home this season. Lucknow have won only 2 games out of the 5 completed and their last win here came on April 7. That's a long time. They have lost 2 games while chasing low scores on challenging surfaces and have failed to defend once. But LSG have won both the meetings between these two sides, and that's some good news for the fans.
Kyle Mayers is in fine form and Quinton de Kock has played good hands after getting a game in IPL 2023. Their spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra can be a threat to the MI batters.
Pitch and weather
This could be a battle of spinners. The surface is slow, has low bounce and is difficult to bat on. If a black-soil pitch is used for the game, 150-160 could be a winning total. It's even Stevens in wins while batting first and bowling first with 3 wins each.
The weather in Lucknow is expected to be clear and breezy in the evening. There is no rain predicted and the mercury is expected to hover around 31 degrees in the evening.
Best batter Prediction: Kyle Mayers can be a batter to watch out for. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Lucknow this season, behind KL Rahul. Mayers has hit 153 runs at the venue including a 73.
Best bowler Prediction: Piyush Chawla can be a bowler to watch out for. MI played against CSK at Chepauk, another venue which assists spinners. Chawla was MI's pick of the bowlers there with 2 wickets in his 4 overs for 25.
Match winner Prediction: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
