IPL 2025: Down and out Rajasthan Royals face tough LSG test

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals will have to quickly forget their heart-breaking Super Over de -feat to Delhi Capitals and take on Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Saturday.
Their third straight loss made matters worse for the Royals. Their qualification bid is now looking tougher. With just a couple of wins to their credit at the halfway stage, the remaining seven matches will all be a must-win ones for the Sanju Samson-led team, who are lying in eighth spot. To achieve the magic figure of 16 points for making the cut for the IPL play -offs, RR will have to win six out of seven matches. Lucknow Super Giants are far better placed in fifth spot, with eight points.

Although LSG were at the receiving end in their last home encounter against Chennai Super Kings, which Dhoni’s boys won by five wickets with three balls to spare, they have looked good with three wins in their last four ties. Samson has a lot to worry about as he braces up to face resurgent LSG.
Samson, RR’s most successful captain, had to retire hurt after making 31 off 19 balls due to a rib-cage injury against DC. He is racing against time to be fit for the LSG clash.
The Royals will be searching for their maiden win in their second home match here after they were outclassed by RCB last Sunday. After post -ing a decent total of 173, RR bowlers failed to control RCB openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, who scored fifties.
Likely XII:
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey.
LSG: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi.