Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are officially out of the IPL 2025 playoff race. Their only challenge now is to finish the league on a positive note. Under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant, the team still has two games left, one of which is against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat, having already qualified for the playoffs, will look to maintain their momentum. With 9 wins and 3 losses from 12 matches, they sit at the top of the table with 18 points. The Titans will aim to finish the league stage at the top position, which will give them two chances to reach the final. They are not expected to take this match against LSG lightly.
With LSG out of contention, one key question arises — will they give opportunities to players who haven’t featured yet this season or have had limited game time? Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram are expected to remain in the XI and will likely open the innings. Nicholas Pooran has struggled in recent matches, so he may be rested in favour of Aryan Juyal.
Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad have been playing regularly; one of them may be rested to give Himanshu Singh a chance. Rajvardhan Hangargekar could replace Shardul Thakur in the lineup. Digvijay Rathi is unavailable due to a ban, which opens the door for Shahbaz Ahmed to come into the playing XI.
Gujarat Titans are in strong form and are considered one of the title favourites this season. A major reason for this is the batting trio of skipper Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler—all of whom are expected to play against Lucknow. However, since Buttler won’t be available for the playoffs, Kusal Mendis has been added as a backup. To give him match practice ahead of the crucial games, Mendis could be included in the XI against LSG, potentially replacing Sherfane Rutherford. Apart from that, GT is unlikely to make further changes.
Also Read- GT vs LSG IPL 2025- Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Report for Today Match
GT vs LSG Probable Playing XIs
Gujarat Titans:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (Wicketkeeper), Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Kusal Mendis
Lucknow Super Giants:
Rishabh Pant (Captain), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Akashdeep, Avesh Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Will O’Rourke
