3 player battles to watch out for in LSG vs GT, Match 26 of IPL 2025 ft. Shubman Gill

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will square off against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 26th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow will host the first match of Saturday's doubleheader.

LSG are placed in the middle of the points table with three wins from five matches. They have six points to their name and an NRR of +0.078. They have won their last two games and will look to make it three in a row.

GT, on the other hand, occupy the top spot in the standings. After losing their opening game of the tournament, the Titans have won four straight matches. They currently have eight points from five matches and an NRR of +1.413. Gujarat will look to continue their winning run and consolidate their position at the top of the points table.

Both teams have some in-form players and a few interesting matchups. On that note, let's take a look at three player battles to watch out for.

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#1 Nicholas Pooran vs Rashid Khan

The LSG wicketkeeper-batter has been in scintillating form with the bat this season. He is currently the highest scorer with 288 runs from five matches at an average of 72 and a strike rate of 225.

Rashid Khan, meanwhile, has had an ordinary start to the IPL 2025 campaign but showed glimpses of form in the last game, with figures of 2/37 against the Rajasthan Royals.

Despite Pooran's six-hitting prowess, Rashid could be the ideal man to stop the belligerent West Indian. The ace leg spinner has dismissed him twice in 66 deliveries and conceded only 77 runs in T20s since 2022 (via Cricbuzz).

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#2 Shubman Gill vs Avesh Khan

The GT skipper has blown hot and cold so far in this year's cash-rich league. He has got good starts but has failed to capitalize on them, scoring 148 runs in five matches, including a half-century.

Avesh Khan, on the other hand, has looked in rhythm since coming back from injury. The right-arm pacer has looked sharp with the new ball, which could trouble Gill.

Avesh has dismissed Gill twice in T20s since 2022 and has conceded runs at a strike rate of almost 110 (via Cricbuzz).

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#3 Mitchell Marsh vs Mohammed Siraj

LSG opener Mitchell Marsh has been in scintillating form with the bat this season and has provided the team with excellent starts. The Aussie all-rounder has smashed 265 runs in five games at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 180.27.

Mohammed Siraj, on the other hand, has been lethal with the new ball, picking up 10 wickets in five games at an economy rate of 7.70. His duel with Marsh inside the powerplay might well play a huge role in deciding the outcome of the clash.