Match overview
Lucknow Super Giants beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on 19 April 2023. Batting first after Rajasthan won the toss and chose to field, Lucknow posted 154/7. Despite a fast start from the hosts in the chase, 3 wickets between overs 7 and 15 proved too costly and Rajasthan finished on 144/6. Marcus Stoinis took the Player of the Match award. It was only Lucknow's second win in six meetings between these sides.
Lucknow's innings was built in the middle overs. The powerplay produced a steady 37/0, and then the batting side scored 72 runs for the loss of 4 wickets between overs 7 and 15 before the death added 45/3. A total of 154 was workable but below the venue's average first-innings score of 165 across 97 T20 matches at this ground.
Rajasthan attacked from the start of the chase, putting on 47 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. At that point, a target of 155 looked very achievable. Three wickets for 57 runs in the middle phase changed the equation. The final four overs cost 40 more runs but also three more wickets, and Rajasthan could not find the boundary hitting they needed when it mattered most.
Venue and conditions
Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur has hosted 97 T20 matches and broadly favours the chasing side. The average first-innings score is 165, the average second-innings score is 153, and teams batting second have won 64% of matches here. On that basis, Rajasthan's toss decision to field was sound and consistent with the ground's trends: 60% of toss winners at this venue opt to field.
The powerplay at Sawai Mansingh Stadium averages 46 runs, which is broadly in line with what both teams managed in this match: Lucknow scored 37 in their first six overs, Rajasthan 47 in theirs. The death-overs average of 39 runs per innings is also close to what each side produced in those final four overs. This was, in short, a fairly typical Jaipur T20 in terms of phase-by-phase scoring, albeit with Lucknow finishing a touch below par with the bat.
Given Rajasthan's clean powerplay with the bat and the venue's history of favouring chases, the result hinged almost entirely on what happened in the middle overs. Once three Rajasthan wickets fell between overs 7 and 15, the required run rate climbed and the pressure on the lower order mounted.
How to watch
IPL 2023 matches are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go or, for those without a full Sky package, via a NOW TV Sports membership. Given the time difference between the UK and India, most IPL evening matches in Jaipur have a UK kick-off time in the mid-to-late afternoon. Check the Sky Sports app for exact scheduling.
Recent form
Rajasthan Royals came into this fixture as arguably the better-placed side on form, having won four of their previous five IPL 2023 matches. Victories over Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad were punctuated by a single loss to Punjab Kings.
Lucknow Super Giants had a more mixed record in the same period, winning three and losing two. They beat Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals, but fell to Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings. Despite the form edge sitting with Rajasthan, it was Lucknow who held their nerve when the game was in the balance, and the result kept Rajasthan's head-to-head lead at 4-2 while giving Lucknow a third win on the road to what will be a busy second half of the competition.
