SRH vs LSG Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2022 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants?

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) would have wanted a positive start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. After losing 11 of their 14 group stage matches in IPL 2021, the Orange Army discarded key pieces to stimulate a massive rebuild, one they continue to hope will bring them back to playoff contention. But if their shellacking at the hands of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) was any indication, SRH are far from being the IPL team they want to be.

Both the batting and bowling departments were underwhelmed as RR ran away with the game, handing SRH a massive net run rate setback very early in the tournament. When they face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, April 4 at the DY Patil Stadium, according to the IPL schedule, Kane Williamson and Co. will be haunted by the ghosts of their dismal previous season. Whether they will be able to overcome them against a team that pulled off a tall chase against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to get off the mark in IPL 2022 remains to be seen.

LSG will be boosted by the availability of Jason Holder, who has completed his quarantine period. Andrew Tye might have to make way for the West Indian, who kickstarted his IPL career at SRH and will understand the inner workings of the franchise quite well. Glenn Phillips has joined the SRH camp, but the Kiwi shouldn't be in the playing XI picture anytime soon. Williamson won't be drawn into too many early changes despite a terrible start.

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IPL 2022 Match Prediction: SRH vs LSG

Aiden Markram (left) was SRH's top scorer in their IPL 2022 opener

SRH's top order crumbled miserably against RR. Kane Williamson, Rahul Tripathi, Nicholas Pooran and Abhishek Sharma were dismissed in the space of seven overs, with only Aiden Markram, Romario Shepherd and Washington Sundar offering any resistance. Although SRH might be tempted to shuffle things around a bit, especially with Sundar's batting position, they should be wary of not pulling the trigger prematurely.

Up against Avesh Khan, Dushmantha Chameera and Holder, Abhishek and Williamson will have a real test on their hands, although admittedly not one as challenging as their RR encounter. If the openers can start positively, Pooran can be used outside the powerplay, where he is most dangerous. The Windies southpaw found Ravi Bishnoi difficult to counter in the limited-overs series ahead of IPL 2022, so the LSG leggie might be a big weapon in the middle overs.

Speaking of spinners, SRH's slow bowlers were abysmal against RR. Sundar and Abhishek leaked runs in the four overs they bowled, with Shepherd's four overs salvaging some respectability. Umran Malik bowled with pace and aggression to scalp two wickets, but he definitely needs to be more accurate against an unforgiving LSG batting lineup.

KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock and Evin Lewis hit their straps against CSK, while Ayush Badoni has been one of the finds of the season. Manish Pandey's lack of returns is a source of concern for LSG, but he has a decent record against his former franchise and will be in prime position to strike form.

Overall, while SRH have a few match-winners on their roster, they appear to be far from a well-rounded outfit. Unless the toss and inevitable dew factor favors them, they should be brushed aside with ease by LSG. Even if they bat second, SRH might be comfortably outplayed.

Prediction: LSG to win Match 12 of IPL 2022