The last match of the Indian Premier League regular season takes place on Tuesday when game 70 of the IPL 2025 campaign is played out in Lucknow when the Lucknow Super Giants host the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
We already know the fates of these two sides as far as the competition is concerned. Lucknow end their season here while Bangalore will move into the finals after this and a win would guarantee a top two finish which would be well within their interests.
Lucknow Super Giants
This ultimately hasn’t been the season that the Lucknow Super Giants would have been looking for. With the firepower they have at their disposal a place in the top four would have been their minimum aim this term so they will be annoyed at failing to achieve that and were they to lose this match they would have just six wins for their season and would end the year in seventh spot which is a complete underachievement however you look at it.
They have destroyed bowling units with the bat this season, as they are set up to do, but when you put such an emphasis and so much resource into the batting, the bowling will inevitably suffer and that is what has happened this term. The injury to Mohsin Khan so late before the season started didn’t help matters but the Super Giants have paid the price for not having a strong enough bowling unit. You would imagine a top class all-rounder will come in over the close season to address that.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Once again the Royal Challengers Bangalore have got themselves into a position where they can attack the trophy. This part of proceedings is nothing new. They are often in the finals but they seem to hit a mental wall when they get there and still haven’t got their hands on this coveted title. That will be their quest over the next week or so but first they have the chance to make life a little easier for themselves by winning this match, finishing in the top two and ensuring they get two goes at making the final should they need them.
The longer this season has gone on, the more their bowling attack has begun to struggle. The injury to Josh Hazlewood seemed to unsettle them and they haven’t really recovered from there with the ball. The good thing is that they have maintained their standards with the bat but even then a couple of injuries have come along in that department and they could do without those. Bangalore need their big players to really step up and be counted over the next week or so.
Special Offer
Open a new Sporting Index account and bet £10 on the IPL (min odds 1/2) to get £20 in free bets (2x£10 free bets) to use on any sports market! Click the image below to take advantage of this great offer! 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Responsibly.
Key Players
Mitchell Marsh finally took one of his 50s and converted it into a 100 in the last game the Lucknow Super Giants played and he has one last outing to stamp his mark further on this competition, and an attack to do it against.
All eyes will be on Virat Kohli over the next week or so. That is nothing new for the Indian legend but if Bangalore are finally going to get their hands on this trophy then you would imagine he is going to need to deliver plenty of runs.
Betting
You would expect the Royal Challengers Bangalore to win this match but if there is a side I wouldn’t want to be against when they are playing with nothing to lose and complete freedom it is probably this Lucknow Super Giants side so I’m going to leave the match betting well alone, especially as I’d like to see how Bangalore balance their side out with the expected absence of Tim David and indeed whether Josh Hazlewood goes straight back in or he is saved for the finals.
In the end, the bet I have come across is a fairly obvious one here which is for the Lucknow Super Giants to hit more than 9.5 sixes. This batting line up looks fearsome on paper and there is every chance that Matthew Breetzke will come in for Aiden Markram which would only help with the six hitting. With Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni and David Miller to come after them the six hitting potential in this side is huge and with no competitive pressure on them allowing them to swing freely, I’d be surprised if Lucknow don’t clear the ropes 10 or more times.
Tips
Back Lucknow Super Giants – Over 9.5 sixes for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Betway
