Nicholas Pooran To Be Dropped? LSG's Strongest Playing XI vs RR- IPL 2026, Match 32

LSG's strongest XI vs RR [Source: AFP]

The Lucknow Super Giants return home to face the Rajasthan Royals on April 22, at 7:30 PM (IST) in Match 32 of IPL 2026, having suffered a massive 54-run defeat to the Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh over the weekend.

The hat-trick of losses has raised questions over the presence of a couple of established stars in the team, who have been underwhelming in IPL 2026. With only two wins in six matches, LSG are placed 9th on the points table, with 4 points and the worst net run-rate among the 10 teams at -1.173.

South Africa’s Aiden Markram has carried his good international form into the tournament, with 162 runs at a strike rate of 160.39 in 6 innings, batting at three different positions.

Despite conceding 250 in the last match, their bowling unit has performed well in IPL 2026, with Prince Yadav being the pick of the bowlers. He has gotten 11 wickets in 6 matches, conceding at 8.59 rpo.

As they look to find some momentum in their IPL 2026 campaign, we explore their strongest XI for the clash against a formidable RR unit, who are 3rd on the table with 8 points in 6 matches.

LSG’s Strongest XI vs RR, IPL 2026, Match 32-

Top Order: Aiden Makram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c)(wk)

Despite a promising outing for Ayush Badoni at the top in the last match, scoring 35 off 21, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh remain the best bet at the opening positions. The two are LSG’s leading scorers, with Markram leading the way, scoring 162 in 6 innings at 160.39, while Marsh has scored 155 in 6 innings at 135.78.

Rishabh Pant will continue at number 3, which remains his optimal position in this lineup. He has scored a fifty early in IPL 2026 and has 147 runs in 6 innings, striking at 136.11.

Also Read: LSG’s International Player Leaves The Team Midway In IPL 2026

Middle Order: Matthew Breetzke, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary

Nicholas Pooran has only scored 51 runs in 6 innings this season, averaging 8.5 and striking at 79.68. A break could work well for both the player and the team, and Matthew Breetzke, who notched a match-winning fifty in the SA20 final, can slot in for Pooran here.

Ayush Badoni, with an ability to bat anywhere in the top 5, has scored 148 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 145.09 and a fifty to his name. He can also bowl occasional off-break if needed, and the finishing role will be shared by Mukul Choudhary, who took the world by storm after his 54* vs KKR. He has 148 runs at the same strike rate as Badoni.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Rathi

LSG’s joint-second-highest wicket-taker and the leader of the bowling attack, Mohammed Shami, will be the next in the lineup with 5 wickets in 6 innings. He has been their most economical bowler at an economy rate of 8.08 runs per over.

Following Avesh Khan’s expensive outings in 5 games, where he has proven to be their bowler with the highest economy rate at 10.17 runs per over for 5 wickets, we could potentially see Mayank Yadav back in the mix. After his long-term injury, Yadav is yet to play any matches in IPL 2026, but has been among the impact subs for a few games now.

Prince Yadav, with 11 wickets in 6 innings, is in the race for the purple cap at a good economy rate of 8.59 and continues to play in the XI. He will share the new ball with Mohsin Khan, who has 2 wickets in 2 innings, including 1/19 (4) in a match. He has been in and out due to injuries, but looks good to go for the next match.

Digvesh Rathi is likely to come back into the playing XI as their lead spinner and x-factor bowler, after missing the last match vs PBKS due to the team combination. He has picked up 3 wickets in 4 matches and is likely to be paired with M Siddharth or George Linde, as per the team’s requirements.

LSG’s Strongest XI vs RR, IPL 2026, Match 32

Aiden Makram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c)(wk), Matthew Breetzke, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Rathi