3 matches that could spice up the seventh week of IPL 2022

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 has completed six weeks. Looking at the IPL points table after yet another dramatic week, there has been a shift at the top. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have overtaken the Gujarat Titans (GT) and are occupying the numero uno position.

Both IPL teams have 16 points after 11 matches but Lucknow have a better net run rate. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) occupy the third and fourth places respectively. Again, both teams are equal on points (14) and are only separated by the run rate.

There are multiple contenders to grab the last playoffs spot as the Delhi Capitals (DC), the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are stuck on 10 points. While the Mumbai Indians (MI) have officially been eliminated, with only eight points from 11 games, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are pretty much out of the reckoning as well.

Gujarat again featured in a thrilling contest during week six of IPL 2022. This time though they ended up on the losing side. GT needed nine runs to win off the last over against MI with six wickets in hand. Daniel Sams gave away just three as Mumbai snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Fans and organizers will be hoping for more pulsating encounters in the seventh week of IPL 2022. Here’s a look at three matches that can spice up Week 7.

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#1 LSG vs GT (Match 57, May 10 at MCA Stadium)

The clash of the top two teams in IPL 2022 thus far promises plenty of fireworks. When the edition began, few would have predicted that the two new franchises would be dominating proceedings. But that’s exactly how things have been. LSG and GT are very well-matched sides and hence it would be difficult to pick a winner in this contest.

KL Rahul has led Lucknow from the front with the ball and, barring Gujarat’s recent matches, Hardik Pandya has also done the same. In Deepak Hooda and Marcus Stoinis, LSG have firepower in the middle while GT have amazing finishers in David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, not to forget Rashid Khan.

Both teams have strong bowling units as well. If Lucknow have Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera and Avesh Khan, Gujarat have been well-served by Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson. When the two sides met in the first half, GT clinched an easy 5-wicket win. Expect a closer tussle this time.

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#2 CSK vs MI (Match 59, May 12 at Wankhede Stadium)

Irrespective of the kind of form CSK and MI are in, when the two sides clash entertainment is almost guaranteed. We saw an illustration of the same during the first half when Chennai defeated Mumbai in a last-ball thriller. MS Dhoni rolled back the clock and played a stunning cameo as CSK chased down a target of 156 after the match seemed to be heading in Mumbai’s direction.

While the loss was a heartbreak for MI as they were still searching for their first win, Rohit Sharma and co. will be a lot more confident this time round. Mumbai have won their last two matches and look in pretty decent touch now. Against Gujarat, they pulled off a win when all seemed lost.

When MI met CSK last time, Ravindra Jadeja was the captain. Now, Dhoni is in charge. So it will be Hitman vs MSD all over again, probably for the last time. For nostalgia's sake, fans of both franchises would be hoping for a classic encounter befitting the legendary rivalry.

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#3 RCB vs PBKS (Match 60, May 13 at Brabourne Stadium)

RCB and PBKS kicked-off their IPL 2022 campaigns by taking on each other at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai at the start of the tournament. It was a high-scoring encounter as Bangalore posted 205 for 2 batting first and Punjab chased down the target with one over to spare.

There were plenty of impressive performances in that game. Faf du Plessis began his captaincy stint with RCB by hammering 88 in 57 balls. Dinesh Karthik started his mission as a finisher by cracking an unbeaten 32 in 14 balls. If Bangalore thought they had done enough, Odeon Smith stunned them by clobbering 25 runs in eight balls.

Smith no longer seems in Punjab’s scheme of things while the franchise themselves have stumbled after an impressive start. Both teams have explosive talent but have been inconsistent when it comes to delivering results. This unpredictability factor could make the battle rather interesting.

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