IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for LSG vs CSK match

The Lucknow Supergiants take on the Chennai Super Kings in the 45th match of IPL 2023 on Wednesday, May 3, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Neither of these teams come into this game in good form, with MS Dhoni's side suffering back-to-back defeats, including one at home to the Punjab Kings.

Meanwhile, LSG were trapped in their own web of spin by the RCB bowlers as they struggled to cross 100 in their match after scoring more than 250 in their previous outing. To add to their troubles, skipper KL Rahul looks to have picked up a serious injury, with Krunal Pandya taking over captaincy duties for the time being.

On that note, let's look at three Dream11 differentials from this fixture.

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#3 Maheesh Theekshana (CSK)

Will Theekshana get a 3-wicket haul in this match?

Maheesh Theekshana hasn't had the desired impact so far in IPL 2023, with only five wickets in six games taken by the Sri Lankan mystery spinner. While MS Dhoni has backed him to bowl in difficult stages of the game and he has done so fearlessly, the mark he made on the wickets column last season is missing.

He picked up 12 wickets in nine games last season at an economy rate of 7.46 despite bowling both in the powerplay and at the death, but in IPL 2023, the economy rate has risen to 8.42 without a commensurate increase in wickets.

Theekshana will want to step up his game, and a surface like Lucknow offers him the perfect opportunity to do that. Without the stability that KL Rahul provides, LSG could well lose their bearings and try to be over-aggressive against the likes of Theekshana, and he has a very good chance of picking up a huge Dream11 haul.

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#2 Ayush Badoni (LSG)

Ayush Badoni looks to have the team's backing for the No.3 spot in the side over Deepak Hooda, and if that's the case, he's a stellar Dream11 differential to have on your side.

Badoni played a crucial hand in LSG's record-breaking first innings against the Punjab Kings while batting at No.3, and while he had a tough outing against RCB, he could bounce back against CSK. The youngster has impressed one and all with his wide range of shots, but he'll want to add consistency to his game.

Any batter batting as high as No.3 is always capable of playing an innings of substance, and Badoni, with his low ownership, could become a valuable Dream11 differential.

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#1 Krishnappa Gowtham (LSG)

Krishnappa Gowtham was LSG's highest run-scorer and best batter against RCB, and if not for him getting runout, they actually stood a chance of winning that match. He showed how valuable he can be with both bat and ball on slow and sluggish surfaces, and LSG should depend on him to deliver against CSK, one of his former franchises.

Against the multitude of left-handers MS Dhoni's side possesses, Gowtham's miserly off-spin could come in handy. It's not easy to slog a spinner for six at this ground, and given CSK's gung-ho style of play, they could perish trying.

Considering that he isn't a regular in this LSG side, his ownership is very low, but Gowtham could be the perfect Dream11 differential option.