Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) face each other in Ahmedabad amidst contrasting fortunes. Gujarat Titans will edge closer towards securing a top-two finish with a victory. Lucknow Super Giants will remain in seventh place irrespective of the result. Both teams failed to reach the playoffs in 2024 after making it in their first two years of existence. GT made a swift comeback, whereas LSG are staring at a longer overhaul.
Birth of Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans
Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans came into existence on October 21, 2021. LSG was bought by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group for ₹7,090 crore, and CVC Capital bought Gujarat Titans for ₹5,625 crore.
The two teams were allowed to draft three players before the 2022 mega auction.
Gujarat Titans picked local hero Hardik Pandya, the world’s premier spinner Rashid Khan, and the rising star Shubman Gill.
Lucknow Super Giants went for KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and the young Ravi Bishnoi.
After the mega auction, LSG was believed to have had a good auction, and GT was an afterthought in the minds of most pundits and critics.
Indian Premier League debut
The two teams played their maiden IPL match against each other on March 28, 2022. GT’s Mohammad Shami dismissed LSG captain KL Rahul off the very first ball of the match. Hardik Pandya’s men never looked back and barged into the playoffs before anyone. LSG weren’t too far behind. They became the second team to reach the playoffs in 2022.
Gujarat Titans’ fairytale run was similar to Rajasthan Royals’ in 2008. An unfancied side winning against all odds. LSG’s season ended at the hands of RCB in the eliminator. GT steamrolled Rajasthan Royals to match their opponents’ 2008 achievement.
GT aim for bigger leagues
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) successfully defended their title in 2011. Mumbai Indians repeated CSK’s efforts in 2020. CSK and MI are behemoths of IPL. They are the gold standard. All of a sudden, GT emerged as genuine contenders to challenge the old order. The underdog taking on the establishment. If not for Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics, GT would have retained their crown in 2023.
Gujarat Titans lost captain Hardik Pandya to his former side, Mumbai Indians, in 2023. New captain Shubman Gill could only manage to guide his team to eighth in the points table. It turned out to be a minor glitch in coach Ashish Nehra’s thought process. The Ahmedabad-based outfit is back to their usual self and once again became the first team to reach the playoffs.
LSG’s repeated disappointments
LSG head coach Andy Flower secured a top-four finish in the first two seasons, and yet his contract was not renewed. Justin Langer took the reins in 2024 and could only manage to finish 7th in the table. Seventh place will be slightly misleading without the full context. Fourth-placed RCB pipped three other teams on net run rate, and LSG were one of the three teams. Ironically, Andy Flower was at the helm of affairs at RCB.
The visuals of owner Sanjiv Goenka confronting captain KL Rahul after a damaging defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad made matters worse. Rahul departed LSG ahead of the mega auction.
KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, the two players drafted in the 2022 mega auction, were no longer part of the franchise.
Rishabh Pant was bought in the 2025 mega auction for a whopping ₹27 crore. Zaheer Khan was roped in as the mentor of the side.
LSG loaded their batting with overseas stars and were relying on the inexperienced Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav to look after their bowling. Unfortunately, both bowlers sustained season-ending injuries. Reports are already going around about the likely removal of head coach Justin Langer.
What’s next?
Gujarat Titans will be keen to play their third final in front of their home crowd in Ahmedabad. Lucknow Super Giants are in need of a rebuild. They need to balance out the lopsided nature of their batting over their bowling. Rishabh Pant’s batting form is a cause of concern. If there is one thing LSG can learn from their opponents, it’s the art of forming a strong bowling group.
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