Picking a combined LSG-CSK playing 11 with impact sub ahead of IPL 2025 match ft. Nicholas Pooran & Noor Ahmad

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will clash with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 31 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Monday (April 14) in Lucknow. Both sides have had contrasting runs so far in the tournament.

LSG are fourth in the points table with four victories in six appearances. In their last outing, the Super Giants conceded 180 against Gujarat Titans. But, they managed to seal the chase in the last over.

Meanwhile, CSK are languishing at the bottom of the points table with a solitary victory in six games. They faced their worst defeat (in terms of ball to spare) in the T20 league in their recent game against Kolkata Knight Riders. After restricting the Super Kings to their lowest-ever total of 103 in Chepauk, the Knight Riders chased down the score with 59 balls to spare.

On that note, let's take a look at the hypothetical playing XI for both sides ahead of their clash.

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Top-order: Aiden Markram, Devon Conway, Nicholas Pooran

Aiden Markram has been in impressive form this season, consistently providing a solid start to LSG. He has garnered 202 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 153.03. In the last game, he hit 58 off 31 and played a key role in his side chasing down the target of 181.

Devon Conway was inducted into the CSK XI in their fourth game. The Kiwi batter has so far scored 94 runs in three games, with a top score of 69. His presence will allow this hypothetical side to have left-right combination, which might unsettle the bowlers.

Nicholas Pooran is in the form of his life, with his confidence at an all-time high. The Caribbean batter is the Orange Cap holder with 349 runs in six games at an astonishing average of 215.43. His best knock of 87* off 36 came against KKR, helping the side to post 238 and eventually win by four runs.

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Middle-order: Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Ayush Badoni, MS Dhoni (c & wk)

Although, Rishabh Pant hasn't been in good form lately, he finds a place in this side due to many non-performing batters, especially in CSK. The southpaw showed signs of returning to form with his 21-run knock in the last game, and will look to be a key contributor in this clash.

Shivam Dube has held CSK middle-order together, especially in the last two games, with his knocks of 42 & 31*. Dube will look to showcase his big-hitting proficiency against spin, who are expected to find assistance from the surface.

Ayush Badoni has done well in steering the Super Giants in crunch situations with a calm head. So far, he has scored 109 runs, with a top knock of 41 against Punjab Kings (PBKS).

MS Dhoni is yet to show consistency, but has wielded his blade to hit some lusty blows at the back end of the innings. If he is able to sort out his game against spinners, Dhoni is likely to provide a strong flourish for the Super Kings.

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Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Noor Ahmad, Digvesh Rathi, Khaleel Ahmed

Shardul Thakur has sprung a surprise with his ability to secure consistent breakthroughs for LSG. He is second on the bowling charts with 11 wickets in six games, with best figures of 4/34 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a winning cause.

Noor Ahmad is the Purple Cap holder with 12 scalps in six games at an economy of 7.90. He produced his best performance against Mumbai Indians (MI), picking up 4/34 to help the side win the game easily.

With his mystery spin, Digvesh Rathi has emerged as a force to reckon with in his only first IPL season. He has picked up eight wickets in six appearances at an economy of 7.70, with best figures of 2/30 against PBKS.

Although, Khaleel Ahmed conceded 40 off his three overs against KKR, he has done well to contain runs and take wickets with the new ball. The left-arm pacer has bagged 10 wickets, with best figures of 3/29 against MI.

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Impact sub: David Miller

The experienced batter, David Miller has scored 97 runs at a strike rate of 132.87, with a best knock of 27* in this edition. If given a free license, he can clear the fences with ease and can likely be used as an Impact Player for this hypothetical side.