Lucknow Super Giants lost both its last matches. Chennai Super Kings won both its last matches.

So, it isn’t difficult to figure out which team is in better form ahead of their IPL 2024 match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium on Friday. CSK looked rather impressive in the wins against Kolkata Knight Riders at home and then against Mumbai Indians away.

LSG, on the other hand, has had a couple of disappointing matches, as it struggled with both bat and ball against Delhi Capitals and KKR.

Before those two defeats, K.L. Rahul’s men had recorded three wins in a row. The man who won them the first two then got injured.

Also read | IPL 2024: Why Rohit Sharma is ‘not a big fan of Impact Player rule’

Mayank Yadav, the find of the season, was missed in the last two games. When LSG’s assistant coach Lance Klusener was asked about the availability of the fast bowler for Thursday’s match, he said the decision on the eleven had not yet been taken.

LSG could take just six wickets in all from the last two matches. The new West Indian star fast bowler Shamar Joseph’s debut didn’t go that well either – none for 47 against KKR.

Batting needs to click too, though it cannot be easy against a strong CSK attack featuring bowlers like Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja. More is expected from the top order, featuring the likes of Rahul and Quinton de Kock, and there should be less dependence on Nicholas Pooran.

CSK doesn’t have as many worries with batting, given the form Shivam Dube and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad are in.