Last updated: 14 April 2026
Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2026 Betting Guide
Season opens 1 Apr · BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow · Captain: Rishabh Pant · Coach: Justin Langer
Mid-table forecast Well-balanced lineup
Best finish
Top 4
Eliminator exit, 2023
2025 finish
7th
6W to 8L, no playoffs
Top scorer 2025
Marsh
627 runs, SR 163.71
Captain price
27cr
Pant most expensive Indian ever
Predicted XI IPL 2026
| # | Player | Role | Nat. | Batting strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aiden Markram | All-rounder | SA | |
| 2 | Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder | AUS | |
| 3 | Rishabh Pant (c) | WK-Bat | IND | |
| 4 | Nicholas Pooran | Batter | WI | |
| 5 | Ayush Badoni | Batter | IND | |
| 6 | Abdul Samad | All-rounder | IND | |
| 7 | Wanindu Hasaranga | All-rounder | SL | |
| 8 | Mohammed Shami | Bowler | IND | |
| 9 | Avesh Khan | Bowler | IND | |
| 10 | Anrich Nortje | Bowler | SA | |
| 11 | Digvesh Rathi | Bowler | IND |
Key squad changes for 2026
| Player | Status | Role | Betting relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | Traded from SRH | Fast bowler | Returns to competitive cricket after his extended injury absence. LSG’s most high-profile bowling acquisition. If he finds his peak form, he transforms LSG’s powerplay bowling. His economy and wicket rate in prime form (2023: 20 wickets, economy 8.03) are outstanding. Monitor fitness carefully. |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Released from RR, joins LSG | Spin all-rounder | One of the best T20 leg-spinners in the world. Adds critical match-winning bowling alongside Digvesh Rathi and gives Pant a genuine spinner to rotate with from both ends. Leg-spin wickets markets on Ekana’s slower pitches are strong. |
| Arjun Tendulkar | Traded from MI | Left-arm pace | Left-arm variety in the pace attack. Yet to cement himself at IPL level. Unlikely to feature in the XI initially but could be deployed as Impact Player in specific conditions. |
| David Miller | Released | Middle-order batter | Miller’s T20 finishing ability at this level was elite. His departure removes LSG’s most reliable death-over batter. Badoni and Samad must step up in his absence. |
| Ravi Bishnoi | Released to RR | Leg-spin bowler | Released and replaced by Hasaranga. Hasaranga is the superior bowler but Bishnoi’s low economy on home pitches will be missed in specific situations. |
Phase 1 fixtures IPL 2026 (season not yet started)
| Date | Opponent | Venue | H/A | Betting note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1 | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | Home | Season opener and Pant’s return to face his old club DC. Ekana is LSG’s fortress the surface slows down batting and assists spin. DC without Duckett. Strong home edge for LSG here. |
| Apr 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Hyderabad | Away | Away fixture vs SRH without Cummins (early games). Hyderabad’s pitch can be high-scoring. LSG’s pace attack with Shami and Nortje travels well. Competitive match. |
| Apr 9 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kolkata | Away | Eden Gardens KKR’s spin stronghold. Chakravarthy and Narine on their home surface could be difficult for LSG’s batting. Careful assessment of odds needed; slight away disadvantage. |
| Apr 12 | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow | Home | Home closer to Phase 1. GT are strong but Ekana’s conditions suit LSG. Pant and Pooran in full flow on home surface is highly dangerous. Back LSG at home here. |
Team department ratings heading into IPL 2026
| Department | Rating | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Batting (top 4) | Markram, Marsh, Pant, and Pooran is one of the deepest top-four combinations in the tournament. Marsh led LSG’s scoring in 2025 with 627 runs at SR 163. Pooran had SR 196.25 in 2025. This unit alone can post and chase 200-plus. | |
| Middle-order depth | Miller’s departure is a genuine concern. Badoni and Samad are capable but not match-winners in the same way. If the top four fail in the same innings, LSG’s innings can stall at the death. | |
| Pace bowling (Shami fit) | Shami + Nortje is an elite new-ball combination when both are at full fitness. Nortje’s 150kph raw pace and Shami’s swing and seam make this the most dangerous away-from-Ekana bowling attack LSG have assembled. | |
| Spin bowling | Hasaranga is a world-class leg-spinner. Digvesh Rathi adds left-arm spin variety. On Ekana’s slower surface which assists spin as the season progresses this pairing is difficult to handle. Back both on home pitches. | |
| Home form at Ekana | Ekana is LSG’s most consistent competitive advantage. The pitch assiststheir slower-ball bowlers and the home crowd creates genuine energy. LSG at home are a reliable backing proposition for the entire season. | |
| Captaincy and coaching | Pant in his second full season of IPL captaincy. His attacking instincts are ideal for T20 but his game management under pressure remains untested over a full campaign. Langer’s intensity is a double-edged sword transformative with aligned players, corrosive with friction. |
Bull case for LSG in 2026
LSG’s top four of Markram, Marsh, Pant and Pooran is among the most explosive batting units in the tournament. When this combination fires, they can post or chase any total in the competition. Shami and Nortje is an elite new-ball pairing when both are fit. Hasaranga adds a world-class spin option. Ekana is a home-ground fortress that suits their bowling. If Pant rediscovers his 2024 form (446 runs, avg 40.55, SR 155.40) and Shami is fully fit, LSG are serious playoff contenders.
Core risk factors
LSG have finished outside the top four in the last two seasons despite individual brilliance. Shami’s comeback from extended injury brought poor numbers at SRH (6 wickets, economy 11.23) before the trade. Mayank Yadav’s 155kph pace talent remains sidelined by back surgery with no confirmed return date. The middle order after the top four has limited depth following Miller’s departure. Pant’s captaincy record (in his first full campaign as LSG skipper) showed inconsistency. Langer’s coaching style creates either uplift or tension mid-season friction is a genuine risk to back in their squad.
Core betting angles for IPL 2026
Back LSG at Ekana
Ekana is one of the most favourable home-ground advantages in the competition. The pitch slows as the season progresses, activating Hasaranga, Digvesh and Avesh. LSG’s batting lineup at home is also dangerous. Back them at home throughout the season.
✔ Back: LSG match winner at Ekana home games
Pooran and Marsh runs markets
Pooran (SR 196.25 in 2025, 524 runs) and Marsh (627 runs, SR 163.71 in 2025) are LSG’s two most reliable batting props. Both delivered at a high level throughout 2025 despite the team finishing 7th. Their individual markets are strong even when LSG lose.
✔ Back: Pooran and Marsh top LSG batter, 50-plus runs
Hasaranga wickets at Ekana
Hasaranga’s leg-spin on Ekana’s slower surface is one of the clearest match-specific prop angles in LSG’s schedule. His googlies and top-spinners on a gripping pitch are devastating. His 2-plus wickets markets for home games are strong from the middle of the season.
✔ Back: Hasaranga 2-plus wickets at Ekana home games
Shami’s comeback fitness-gated
A fit Mohammed Shami is one of T20 cricket’s best new-ball bowlers. His 2023 numbers were outstanding. But he returned poorly at SRH in 2025 (economy 11.23) after injury. Track his fitness and form closely in the opening games. His wickets props should only be backed after he demonstrates rhythm, not in his first few appearances.
✔ Back Shami wickets markets only once he demonstrates form in early games
Fade LSG away on batting pitches
LSG’s bowling without a fit Shami or Mayank is heavily pace-dependent. On flat batting surfaces away from Ekana, their bowling can be taken apart. Fade them at short odds in away games on high-scoring surfaces.
✗ Fade: LSG at short odds away from Ekana on flat batting surfaces
Pant as in-play captain variable
Pant’s captaincy creates unpredictable in-play patterns unconventional field placements, unexpected bowling changes, and bold batting decisions that can either accelerate or cost an innings. Monitor live as his decisions are highly consequential and inconsistently priced by in-play markets.
✔ Watch: LSG in-play markets around Pant’s bowling and batting decisions
Scenario risk matrix
| Scenario | LSG outlook | Bettor edge | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home at Ekana, Marsh and Pooran firing | Strong | Positive | Back LSG batting plus conditions equals strong home edge |
| Shami and Nortje both fit | Strong | Positive | Back LSG elite new-ball attack on any surface |
| Top 4 fail collectively | Low | Negative | In-play lay middle order inadequate without Miller |
| Shami still searching for form | Mixed | Neutral | Wait do not back LSG bowling markets until Shami proves fitness |
| Away on a flat batting pitch | Mixed | Negative | Fade LSG bowling dependent on conditions |
Players to back
Nicholas Pooran
No.4 batter · 524 runs SR 196.25 in 2025
The most destructive middle-order batter in IPL 2025 by strike rate. Pooran’s ability to hit every ball to the boundary makes him uniquely valuable in ceiling-based markets. Top LSG batter and 50-plus markets are season-long plays. His SR means he delivers rapid match-winning innings even from brief cameos. The clearest prop in LSG’s squad.
✔ Back: top LSG batter, 50-plus runs, most runs in match
Mitchell Marsh
Opening all-rounder · 627 runs SR 163 in 2025
LSG’s top run-scorer in 2025. His combination of powerplay aggression and the ability to bat deep through an innings makes him LSG’s most reliable volume scorer. Opens alongside Markram. All-rounder markets combining his batting and occasional medium-pace are secondary value. Back him consistently throughout the season.
✔ Back: top LSG batter, 50-plus runs, high-scoring game markets
Wanindu Hasaranga
Leg-spin all-rounder · Middle overs
A world-class T20 leg-spinner who joins LSG after being released by RR. His googlies and wrist-spin variations are among the most deceptive in the competition. At Ekana, where the pitch grips as the season progresses, Hasaranga’s wicket-taking ability is exceptional. Back his bowling props for home games from mid-season onwards.
✔ Back: Hasaranga 2-plus wickets at Ekana home games
Rishabh Pant
Captain & WK-Bat · 27cr record signing
When Pant is in his best form as he was in 2024 (446 runs, avg 40.55, SR 155.40) he is one of the most destructive IPL captains with the bat. His 2025 numbers were below par (269 runs, avg 24.45). If he rediscovers 2024 form, his top LSG batter markets are strong. Back cautiously in early games until form is established; then commit to season-long props once he finds rhythm.
✔ Back carefully once form established top LSG batter on home ground
Player to watch with caution
Mohammed Shami
Fast bowler · Comeback after injury
Shami’s peak form (2023 IPL: 20 wickets, economy 8.03) is elite and among the best LSG will have seen from any bowler. But he returned to IPL cricket at SRH in 2025 after his extended injury absence and delivered poor numbers (6 wickets, economy 11.23 before being traded). His comeback has been inconsistent. Do not back his prop markets until he demonstrates consistent form in 2026 the first two or three matches will be key indicators.
⚠ Caution: Shami bowling props wait for demonstrated 2026 form before backing
