We are back for the chase! Lucknow players are in huddle and they disperse now to take their respective positions. Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma are the openers for Hyderabad.

...THE RUN CHASE…

Right then! A ground were 200 seems to be a par score has seen 169 runs being scored by the team batting first. It is a different wicket though tonight but given the fast outfield and the dew factor coming into play, Hyderabad should get the job done. Can Lucknow get a bright start with the ball and make a real contest out of this one? Find out soon as the chase is up next.

Deepak Hooda is down for a chat. He says that his innings was good but he is a bit disappointed that he could not stay until the end. Tells that he was not thinking about his runs tally but was looking to spend time in the middle. Adds that Rahul just told him to spend some time in the middle and says that he is high on confidence. Informs that it is a decent score and the ball is not coming on the bat that well.

Hyderabad were clinical with the ball at the start and Washington Sundar was simply outstanding inside the Powerplay as he picked up two big wickets. However, in the middle overs, Umran Malik went for a lot of runs and wickets were hard to come by. In the death overs though Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan pulled back things very nicely with the latter picking up a couple of wickets as well. This hard work though was a bit undone by Romario Shepherd as he bowled an expensive final over but

Two in-form left-handers, Quinton de Kock and Evin Lewis were dismissed cheaply very early on and then Manish Pandey's abysmal form continued as after hitting a couple of boundaries, he just couldn't keep his composure. It was then the repair work done by the skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda that brought Lucknow back into the contest. Both batters scored half-centuries but Hooda was dismissed soon after. Rahul hit a few important blows and it was that man once again, Ayush Badoni with a f

A late blitz in the end from Ayush Badoni and Jason Holder and what a recovery this has been from Lucknow! From being 27 for 3 inside the first five overs, the KL Rahul led side has posted a defendable total of 169 runs on the board. This is by no means a big score but still it might turn out to be a challenging one. Hyderabad will feel they have let the momentum slip and will look to get a fast start when they come out to bat.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! RUN OUT! Ayush Badoni is out while stealing a bye off the last ball but he has played a good handy knock yet again. This is a slower length delivery, outside off. Ayush Badoni dances down the track and looks to heave it towards the leg side. He misses. The ball goes off the bounce to the keeper. Nicholas Pooran. He throws it at the non-striker's end as the batters try to steal a bye. Romario Shepherd collects the ball and flicks it onto the stumps

Romario Shepherd to Jason Holder, A fuller delivery on middle. Holder heaves it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Jason Holder, ! Just over the fence! A slower length ball, around off. Holder drags it over long on and just over Aiden Markram there for a maximum.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, A fuller delivery on middle. Ayush Badoni hits it to long on for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, THREE WIDES! This is full and down the leg side. Way too down the leg side and Ayush Badoni leaves it. The keeper misses it too and two byes are taken.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! This is high quality batting! Ayush Badoni sees that the fielders are in the ring on the off side. He makes room and smashes this length ball, on middle over covers for a boundary.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, A length ball, outside off. It is a slower delivery at 120 kph. Ayush Badoni gets across and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for a couple.

Romario Shepherd (3-0-25-2) to bowl the final over of the innings.

T Natarajan to Ayush Badoni, Goes for a yorker again, on off. Ayush Badoni gets across and takes it on full. He paddles it to fine leg for a single. Just 8 from the over and two wickets. Brilliant stuff!

T Natarajan to Jason Holder, A very full ball, on off. Holder drills it to long off for a single.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, ! BOWLED! This is what T Natarajan is known for and it is amazing to see how perfectly he has mastered this art of bowling yorkers. This is a yorker on middle and leg. Pandya looks to whip it away but the ball sneaks through his legs as it beats him and shatters the stumps. Two wickets in the over for T Natarajan.

Jason Holder is in next.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, ! T Natarajan tries a short delivery on middle. Pandya pulls and pulls it well towards deep backward square leg for a boundary.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, A low full toss on middle and leg. Pandya whips it to deep square leg for a couple.

Krunal Pandya is in at number 7.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, ! LBW! T Natarajan strikes and the death-specialist does his job! This is a very full delivery on middle. Rahul looks to paddle it but misses. The ball hits his pads and there is a big appeal. The umpire raises his finger as it looks dead straight. Rahul takes a review though. The replays roll in and the UltraEdge shows no bat involved. The Ball Tracker shows three reds. So Rahul has to walk back and this is a big wicket for Hyderabad.

T Natarajan (3-0-18-0) to bowl the penultimate over of the innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Another yorker to end the spell! On middle and all Rahul can dot is to somehow hit it to long off for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Ayush Badoni, A brilliant yorker again on middle. Ayush Badoni looks to hit it away but ends up getting it towards the leg side for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A low full toss on middle. Rahul stays deep in his crease and hits it to long on for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Nails a yorker on off. Rahul digs it out back to the bowler.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Dropped! Brilliant effort from Abdul Samad though! A length delivery, outside off. Rahul hits it uppishly towards deep cover. Samad runs to his right and dives. He reaches towards the ball but fails to pouch it. Two runs taken.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A full toss on middle. Rahul works it towards cow corner and gets a couple.

Washington Sundar to Ayush Badoni, ! Top shot from Ayush Badoni! 17 runs from the over! This is full, around off. Ayush Badoni gets low and sweeps it to deep square leg. The fielder in the deep runs to his left and dives to stop it but makes a mess of it. Boundary.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Spears this quicker on off. Rahul again slog-sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to Ayush Badoni, A single again! A flatter delivery on middle. Ayush Badoni dances down the track and heaves it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul slog-sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Giving 17th over to the spinner was always a gamble and Rahul is taking on Sundar here! Sundar fires it quicker but shorter on off. Rahul hangs back and deposits it over deep mid-wicket fence.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Rahul starts the over with a boundary! On the shorter side on middle. Rahul pulls it to deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Washington Sundar (3-0-11-2) comes back in to finish his spell.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, Hits the length hard again, on off. Ayush Badoni blocks it out.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, On a length, on middle. Ayush Badoni works it to mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! That will be the first boundary for Ayush Badoni today! It is full and outside off. Ayush Badoni creams it through cover-point. Abdul Samad runs to his left and dives to stop it but his body touches the ropes as he tries to stop the ball. 

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Fifty for KL Rahul! Another captain's knock from him, his team needed him to drop anchor and he has done it perfectly. A short ball, around off. Rahul pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, Lands on a length, around off. Ayush Badoni opens the face of his blade and steers it towards third man for a single. He is off the mark.

Ayush Badoni is in next for Lucknow.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, ! CAUGHT! So Romario Shepherd comes back into the attack and gets rid of dangerous Deepak Hooda! End of a very fine knock from Deepak Hooda! It is on the shorter side on off. Hooda makes room and looks to launch it over deep mid-wicket. However, he fails to get enough distance and probaly it hits the bottom of his blade. The ball goes straight to Rahul Tripathi there and he takes a good catch. Can Hyderabad now restrict the scoring rate?

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Excellent over from T Natarajan, just six singles off it. Natrajan sees Hooda walking towards him and spears one in at the toes. Hooda jams it out towards long on for a run.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Full and on off, Rahul can only push it towards mid off for yet another single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Fifty for Deepak Hooda and what an important knock this has been for his side! Full and on middle, Hooda works it towards wide long on for one more. He will now look to up the ante a bit more.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Length again, on middle and hit on the bounce towards long on for a single.

DRINKS! Lucknow have made a strong comeback after losing three early wickets and now have a platform to launch in the final six overs. KL Rahul has gone about his business in his usual clinical way but it has been the innings of Deepak Hooda that has provided them the impetus here. Hyderabad, will feel they have missed out on an opportunity to restrict Lucknow to a low total here but still a good performance at the death will help them restrict Lucknow to a chaseable total. T Natarajan (2-0-13

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, In the air...safe! Deepak Hooda had his heart in his mouth for a moment but survives. It's the off cutter from Natarajan, bowled on a good length and angled across the batter. Hooda gets taken aback and ends up getting a top edge around the cover region. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tries to get to it from point but isn't able to. Single taken.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Leg bye! Stifled appeal from T Natarajan but pitching outside leg it seems. Fuller and around leg, Rahul misses the flick. The ball goes off the pads and towards covers. The batters get a leg bye and the replay confirms that it was indeed outside leg.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Pace is a good thing but when the line is not right, it can be used against you and Deepak Hooda is doing just that. On the hips and whipped away over the fine leg fence for a biggie. Umran Malik is proving to be really expensive here.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Big swing and a miss! Good-length, around off and Hooda throws the kitchen sink at it. He gets beaten for pace though.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! The quicker the ball is, the quicker it's racing away to the fence. Length ball, at 152.4 kph. Deepak Hooda just makes room and swings through the line of the ball. He doesn't get a good connection but the ball skips across the turf and past mid on for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Quick single this time. Angled into middle and leg, Rahul looks to heave it leg side but ends up getting an inside edge onto the pads and the ball goes towards short leg. They scamper through for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Around 149 clicks, full again and close to the off stump. Hooda squeezes it out towards deep cover for one.

Will we see another bowling change here? Yes, Umran Malik is back on. He has gone for 23 runs in his two overs so far.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Carved away! Deepak Hooda seems to have Umran Malik's number. Full and wide at 150.1 kph. Hooda just goes over point and the ball ends up in the fence in a flash.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Nice bit of timing from Rahul. Length, around off and punched on the up to the right of the man at sweeper cover for two more.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Bhuvi looks for the yorker tailing into the toes but serves a low full toss. KL Rahul clips it towards wide long on and picks up a couple of runs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, Around the top of off, Hooda hits it on the up and gets it down to long on for another single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Just another single. Outside off, Rahul taps it towards deep cover and rotates the strike.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, Full and straight, flicked away towards deep square leg for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, A slower length ball on off. Hooda looks to go big downtown but gets it off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Nearly carried back to the bowler! Pitched up, around off. Rahul pushes it uppishly back towards the bowler but luckily for him, the ball falls short.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Shepherd sees Hooda advancing and bowls it slower again. Hooda can only push it towards wide long off for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, No wide given and rightly so. Deepak Hooda shuffles across and Shepherd bowls it slower and down the leg side. Hooda misses the lap and the ball goes a few inches past the leg stump.

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Just short of a length, Rahul pulls it down to long on for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Shepherd goes fuller and a bit slower. Hooda pushes it down to long on for one.

Romario Shepherd is back on. He went for 10 runs in his first over and got the wicket of Manish Pandey.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, ! Deepak Hooda on the charge here! Romario Shepherd comes back into the attack and tries to attack the pads, Hooda moves leg side and swings it high and handsome over the square leg fence for a biggie. The 50 partnership is also up between these two.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, This is bowled on middle, Rahul punches it to extra cover and calls for 'No' straightaway. Lucknow slowly but surely growing into the game.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Length, on the fifth stump line. Hooda nudges it through covers for a run.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Full and wide, squeezed away to the left of the fielder at deep backward point and Deepak Hooda picks up a couple of runs.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Slower one, slanted into middle. Rahul bunts it down to long on and collects a single.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Two more! Angling into middle and leg, just dabbed down in front of square on the leg side for an easy brace.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Natarajan comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a length outside off. Rahul hangs back and slaps it towards deep point for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Ohh... Bhuvneshwar Kumar got his hand to it but the ball just goes over the fence in the end! This is on the shorter side,on off and at 145 clicks. Hooda makes a bit toom and just guides this ball towards the third man fence. Bhuvneshwar Kumar there, jumps and gets a hand to hit but the ball pops out and goes over the fence. A maximum in the end and 20 runs from this over!

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, A low full toss on middle. Rahul drives it to long on for a single.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, ! Third boundary of the over! Lands on a length, around off. Rahul smashes it towards deep point for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, ! Lovely shot! This is on the shorter side, around off at 151.8 kph. Rahul sways away a bit and just opens the face of his blade. Uses the pace well and it races away towards the third man fence.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, A fullish delivery, around off at 151.2 kph. Hooda drives it to sweeper cover for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Good shot! Malik tries a yorker but it ends up being a low full toss on middle. Hooda makes room and creams it through covers for a boundary.

Drinks! Hyderabad have come out today with an aggressive intent and so far it has worked wonders for them. Kane Williamson decided to use Washington Sundar right from the second over and he has uprooted two hard-hitting left-handers. KL Rahul has his work cut out in front of him and he will now look to stitch a partnership with Deepak Hooda to give Lucknow a platform to launch at the death. A couple of wickets in the middle overs for Hyderabad and they will be right on top of proceedings. Al

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Good start from T Natarajan! Lands on a length and it is angled across Rahul. He looks to push it away but gets beaten.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller and it's a slower delivery at 121.6 kph. Hooda works it to long on for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Slightly on the shorter side, outside off. Hooda punches it to deep extra-cover for a couple.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Another single! On a length, on middle. Rahul pushes it to long off for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, A fullish delivery, around off. Hooda drives it to deep cover for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Lands on a length, on middle. Hooda works it to mid-wicket.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, Slightly shorter and provides the width. Hooda cuts it to sweeper cover for just a single.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, Goes flatter on off. Rahul knocks it down to long on for a single.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, It is shorter on off. Hooda pulls it to long on for a single.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, Very full and quicker on off. Hooda digs it out to point.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul drives it to long off for a single.

Abdul Samad comes into the attack now.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, ! A gift from the bowler and Rahul is not going to miss out on that. A full toss on middle. Rahul smashes it straight down the ground for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, This time a full ball, on middle. Rahul works it to mid-wicket. Good start from the pacer!

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, It is shorter and outside off. The pace if around 145 kph this time. Rahul looks to guide it away but misses.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul drives it back to the bowler.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller, outside off. Hooda drives but gets a thick outside edge. The ball goes just away from the diving point fielder for a single towards third man. A single taken.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Beats him for pace! Lands on a length and angling into middle and leg at 147.5 kph. Hooda looks to work it towards the leg side but misses. The ball hits him high on the pads and s stifled appeal follows but going down leg and too high.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off at 148 kph. Rahul punches it off the outside half of his blade to thired man for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, A low full toss on off. Rahul drives it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to Deepak Hooda, Shorter and flatter on middle. Hooda punches it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Pushed quicker again on off. Rahul turns it to mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller and quicker on off. Hooda drives it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Sundar serves it flatter and slightly shorter on off. Rahul chops it to cover-point.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Short of a length, around off. Hooda hops and keeps it down on the leg side.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! CAUGHT! Romario Shepherd has his reward for being persistent and that is another soft dismissal for Manish Pandey. Back of a length again, over middle stump. Pandey walks towards the ball and tries to force it over the man at mid on. The ball comes off the toe end of the bat and is chipped straight towards Bhuvneshwar Kumar at mid on. Bhuvi takes the simplest of catches and that is an unecessary shot from Pandey. Shepherd though seems elated and Luc

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Goes slower and fuller on middle. Rahul works it to square leg for a single.

Deepak Hooda is the next man in.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, Back of a length, around middle and tucked away off the back foot towards mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! Just over! Romario Shepherd goes short again and Pandey takes him on. This is angled into the body and Pandey flat-bats it over a jumping Umran Malik at the square leg fence for a maximum.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! Gets right on top of the bounce on this occasion does Manish Pandey. Short of a length, around off and pulled powerfully along the ground into the mid-wicket fence.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, Shepherd hits the length hard first up and bowls it on off. Pandey dabs it down towards mid on.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, On middle, pushed down to long on for a single and Manish Pandey is off the mark. End of another successful over from Washington Sundar.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, A bit of turn now and Sundar is proving to be a thorn for Lucknow. On middle and this one spins in sharply. Pandey gets caught on the crease and is pushed back as he looks to tuck it away. He misses and gets hit on the pads.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Pushes this quicker and outside off. Pandey chops it to point.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Pitches outside off and it turns into Pandey. He looks to cut but misses.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Tossed up, outside off. Pandey drives it to covers.

Manish Pandey is the next man in.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, ! LBW! Evin Lewis is a goner and Washington Sundar is on fire! Two left-handed batters have fallen prey to the off-spinner and one has to question whether Lewis should have been sent in and not Manish Pandey. Just a regulation delivery, on a length and sliding into middle and leg. For a third time, Lewis gets down on one knee and looks to sweep but misses. He is rapped on the back leg and this time it is adjacent enough to be given out. Rahul questions

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, ! KL Rahul getting into the groove now. Bit of width on offer and this is classically driven on the up, through cover for a boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Good running! On middle, Rahul plays it with soft hands into the vacant space around the mid-wicket region and races back for the second.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Evin Lewis, Around the hips, Lewis sets up to pull but ends up just jabbing it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Evin Lewis, Top delivery from Bhuvi! A yorker this time, nailed just outside the off stump. Evin Lewis looks to jam it out but is well beaten.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A length ball, well outside off. Rahul taps it through the point region for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Full and straight, driven firmly towards mid on.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, Down the leg side, Lewis misses the paddle sweep yet again and gets hit on the pads.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, NOT ! A very tight call but Evin Lewis survives. On a length and Washington Sundar slides this time into middle stump. Lewis misses the sweep and gets pinged on the pads. Washington Sundar seems very interested but the appeal is turned down. The skipper though has obliged and takes the review. It seems straightforward on first glance and UltraEdge confirms that there's no bat involved. Ball Tracker though shows that it is umpire's call on wickets hitt

Evin Lewis walks in at number 3.

Washington Sundar to Quinton de Kock, ! TAKEN! Skipper Kane Williamson takes a brilliant catch and the move to bring the off-spinner at the start has worked wonders for Hyderabad. This is flighted from 'round the wicket and bowled on middle. Quinton de Kock makes a bit of room and looks to cover drive. He does so but uppishly and times it well. Williamson though springs to his right at covers and pouches it with both hands. De Kock's weakness against the off-spin has been exploited and

Washington Sundar to Quinton de Kock, Sundar gives it more air and drifts it into leg stump. De Kock pushes it back to the bowler.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Straightaway now Sundar pulls back his length. Shorter, on middle and leg. Rahul works it in front of square on the leg side for one.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Lovely shot from KL Rahul. Washington Sundar starts off with an overpitched delivery on middle. Rahul makes a bit of room and creams it through extra cover to bring up the first boundary of the match.

Washington Sundar to start from the other end.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Tidy start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just 3 runs off it. A bit wider this time and Rahul slashes it hard towards the right of third man for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A length ball, slanted into middle and leg. Rahul nudges it towards square leg.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Quinton de Kock, Bhuvi drifts onto the pads and de Kock is able to get off the mark. Sliding down leg, tucked away to fine leg for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Quinton de Kock, Nicely timed but for no run. Full and wide, Quinton de Kock strokes it to the man at extra cover.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, KL Rahul and Lucknow are underway! Around off, pushed gently towards covers for a quick single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar starts off with a fullish delivery, on off. There's a bit of away shape on offer and KL Rahul gets solidly behind it to keep it out.

We are all set to begin! The umpires make their way into the middle. Hyderabad players are in the huddle and they now disperse to take their respective postions. KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock are the openers for Lucknow. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start with the ball for Hyderabad. KL Rahul will be on strike. Here we go...

So Hyderabad going with an unchanged team and it will be interesting to see if they will make any changes to the batting order, with the likes of Aiden Markram more than capable to bat at the top of the order. However, they need to bowl well first and they will be banking on Bhuvneshwar Kumar to make early inroads with the new ball. Lucknow, on the other hand, now looks even stronger unit with Jason Holder in the lineup and let's see how he goes about his business against his former team.

KL Rahul, the skipper of Lucknow, says that they would have wanted to bowl first as that has been the trend. Informs that they have once change willth Holder coming in for Dushmantha Chameera. Tells that with the new ball one always tries to hit that good area but is is about assessing the conditions and executing in the middle. Adds that Jason Holder is one of the top all-rounder and he strengthens both batting and bowling. Says that the win in the last game was a confidence booster and adds

Kane Williamson, the skipper of Hyderabad, says they will have a bowl first. He adds that they take conditions into account while selecting the playing XI and the surface seems pretty similar to the ones that have been used and there's potential due on the cards as well. Mentions that the game is about fine margins and hopes to put on a better performance tonight. Informs that there are no changes to the playing XI and gives an update about his elbow and says that it is better now.

 Hyderabad (Unchanged Playing XI) - Kane Williamson (C), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan. 

Lucknow (Playing XI) - KL Rahul (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder (In place of Dushmantha Chameera), Avesh Khan, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi.

TOSS - The coin goes up and lands in favour of Hyderabad. They have elected to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Rohan Gavaskar is pitchside and he says that it is a fresh pitch and it's an even 70 meters square of the wicket on both sides. He adds that at this stadium back of the length was the way and you couldn't pitch it up but tonight it is a different track and the pacers will look to pitch it up a bit further and the likes of Bhuvi will get more help.

... MATCH DAY …

It’s time for the battle of Nawabs and Nizams as Lucknow get ready to lock horns against Hyderabad. We welcome everyone to our coverage as we get ready for another mouth-watering contest of this 15th edition of the Indian T20 League. 

Lucknow, one of the newest entrants in the Indian T20 League started the tournament with a loss in a close encounter but came back with a more clinical display in the second game. In both the games so far, the new franchise has displayed great fighting spirit and the depth of their batting department has been the highlight of their performance so far. Jason Holder is set to be available for selection in this game and that will boost their seam attack which has been a tad expensive. However, it

Hyderabad, on the other hand, had a forgettable outing in the last game. The bowling unit with enough quality bowlers leaked far too many runs while the new batting lineup just couldn’t handle the pressure of the big score and failed miserably. They seem to be heavily dependent on a few international stars and they need their local talent to contribute with the bat if they want to go deep in the tournament. Can they lift themselves up and produce a better performance this time around? Or will

Jason Holder has got his cap in the Lucknow huddle. So expect at least one change in the Lucknow lineup.

We are back for the chase! Lucknow players are in huddle and they disperse now to take their respective positions. Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma are the openers for Hyderabad.

...THE RUN CHASE…

Right then! A ground were 200 seems to be a par score has seen 169 runs being scored by the team batting first. It is a different wicket though tonight but given the fast outfield and the dew factor coming into play, Hyderabad should get the job done. Can Lucknow get a bright start with the ball and make a real contest out of this one? Find out soon as the chase is up next.

Deepak Hooda is down for a chat. He says that his innings was good but he is a bit disappointed that he could not stay until the end. Tells that he was not thinking about his runs tally but was looking to spend time in the middle. Adds that Rahul just told him to spend some time in the middle and says that he is high on confidence. Informs that it is a decent score and the ball is not coming on the bat that well.

Hyderabad were clinical with the ball at the start and Washington Sundar was simply outstanding inside the Powerplay as he picked up two big wickets. However, in the middle overs, Umran Malik went for a lot of runs and wickets were hard to come by. In the death overs though Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan pulled back things very nicely with the latter picking up a couple of wickets as well. This hard work though was a bit undone by Romario Shepherd as he bowled an expensive final over but

Two in-form left-handers, Quinton de Kock and Evin Lewis were dismissed cheaply very early on and then Manish Pandey's abysmal form continued as after hitting a couple of boundaries, he just couldn't keep his composure. It was then the repair work done by the skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda that brought Lucknow back into the contest. Both batters scored half-centuries but Hooda was dismissed soon after. Rahul hit a few important blows and it was that man once again, Ayush Badoni with a f

A late blitz in the end from Ayush Badoni and Jason Holder and what a recovery this has been from Lucknow! From being 27 for 3 inside the first five overs, the KL Rahul led side has posted a defendable total of 169 runs on the board. This is by no means a big score but still it might turn out to be a challenging one. Hyderabad will feel they have let the momentum slip and will look to get a fast start when they come out to bat.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! RUN OUT! Ayush Badoni is out while stealing a bye off the last ball but he has played a good handy knock yet again. This is a slower length delivery, outside off. Ayush Badoni dances down the track and looks to heave it towards the leg side. He misses. The ball goes off the bounce to the keeper. Nicholas Pooran. He throws it at the non-striker's end as the batters try to steal a bye. Romario Shepherd collects the ball and flicks it onto the stumps

Romario Shepherd to Jason Holder, A fuller delivery on middle. Holder heaves it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Jason Holder, ! Just over the fence! A slower length ball, around off. Holder drags it over long on and just over Aiden Markram there for a maximum.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, A fuller delivery on middle. Ayush Badoni hits it to long on for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, THREE WIDES! This is full and down the leg side. Way too down the leg side and Ayush Badoni leaves it. The keeper misses it too and two byes are taken.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! This is high quality batting! Ayush Badoni sees that the fielders are in the ring on the off side. He makes room and smashes this length ball, on middle over covers for a boundary.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, A length ball, outside off. It is a slower delivery at 120 kph. Ayush Badoni gets across and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for a couple.

Romario Shepherd (3-0-25-2) to bowl the final over of the innings.

T Natarajan to Ayush Badoni, Goes for a yorker again, on off. Ayush Badoni gets across and takes it on full. He paddles it to fine leg for a single. Just 8 from the over and two wickets. Brilliant stuff!

T Natarajan to Jason Holder, A very full ball, on off. Holder drills it to long off for a single.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, ! BOWLED! This is what T Natarajan is known for and it is amazing to see how perfectly he has mastered this art of bowling yorkers. This is a yorker on middle and leg. Pandya looks to whip it away but the ball sneaks through his legs as it beats him and shatters the stumps. Two wickets in the over for T Natarajan.

Jason Holder is in next.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, ! T Natarajan tries a short delivery on middle. Pandya pulls and pulls it well towards deep backward square leg for a boundary.

T Natarajan to Krunal Pandya, A low full toss on middle and leg. Pandya whips it to deep square leg for a couple.

Krunal Pandya is in at number 7.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, ! LBW! T Natarajan strikes and the death-specialist does his job! This is a very full delivery on middle. Rahul looks to paddle it but misses. The ball hits his pads and there is a big appeal. The umpire raises his finger as it looks dead straight. Rahul takes a review though. The replays roll in and the UltraEdge shows no bat involved. The Ball Tracker shows three reds. So Rahul has to walk back and this is a big wicket for Hyderabad.

T Natarajan (3-0-18-0) to bowl the penultimate over of the innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Another yorker to end the spell! On middle and all Rahul can dot is to somehow hit it to long off for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Ayush Badoni, A brilliant yorker again on middle. Ayush Badoni looks to hit it away but ends up getting it towards the leg side for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A low full toss on middle. Rahul stays deep in his crease and hits it to long on for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Nails a yorker on off. Rahul digs it out back to the bowler.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Dropped! Brilliant effort from Abdul Samad though! A length delivery, outside off. Rahul hits it uppishly towards deep cover. Samad runs to his right and dives. He reaches towards the ball but fails to pouch it. Two runs taken.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A full toss on middle. Rahul works it towards cow corner and gets a couple.

Washington Sundar to Ayush Badoni, ! Top shot from Ayush Badoni! 17 runs from the over! This is full, around off. Ayush Badoni gets low and sweeps it to deep square leg. The fielder in the deep runs to his left and dives to stop it but makes a mess of it. Boundary.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Spears this quicker on off. Rahul again slog-sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to Ayush Badoni, A single again! A flatter delivery on middle. Ayush Badoni dances down the track and heaves it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul slog-sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Giving 17th over to the spinner was always a gamble and Rahul is taking on Sundar here! Sundar fires it quicker but shorter on off. Rahul hangs back and deposits it over deep mid-wicket fence.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Rahul starts the over with a boundary! On the shorter side on middle. Rahul pulls it to deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Washington Sundar (3-0-11-2) comes back in to finish his spell.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, Hits the length hard again, on off. Ayush Badoni blocks it out.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, On a length, on middle. Ayush Badoni works it to mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, ! That will be the first boundary for Ayush Badoni today! It is full and outside off. Ayush Badoni creams it through cover-point. Abdul Samad runs to his left and dives to stop it but his body touches the ropes as he tries to stop the ball. 

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Fifty for KL Rahul! Another captain's knock from him, his team needed him to drop anchor and he has done it perfectly. A short ball, around off. Rahul pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Ayush Badoni, Lands on a length, around off. Ayush Badoni opens the face of his blade and steers it towards third man for a single. He is off the mark.

Ayush Badoni is in next for Lucknow.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, ! CAUGHT! So Romario Shepherd comes back into the attack and gets rid of dangerous Deepak Hooda! End of a very fine knock from Deepak Hooda! It is on the shorter side on off. Hooda makes room and looks to launch it over deep mid-wicket. However, he fails to get enough distance and probaly it hits the bottom of his blade. The ball goes straight to Rahul Tripathi there and he takes a good catch. Can Hyderabad now restrict the scoring rate?

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Excellent over from T Natarajan, just six singles off it. Natrajan sees Hooda walking towards him and spears one in at the toes. Hooda jams it out towards long on for a run.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Full and on off, Rahul can only push it towards mid off for yet another single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Fifty for Deepak Hooda and what an important knock this has been for his side! Full and on middle, Hooda works it towards wide long on for one more. He will now look to up the ante a bit more.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Length again, on middle and hit on the bounce towards long on for a single.

DRINKS! Lucknow have made a strong comeback after losing three early wickets and now have a platform to launch in the final six overs. KL Rahul has gone about his business in his usual clinical way but it has been the innings of Deepak Hooda that has provided them the impetus here. Hyderabad, will feel they have missed out on an opportunity to restrict Lucknow to a low total here but still a good performance at the death will help them restrict Lucknow to a chaseable total. T Natarajan (2-0-13

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, In the air...safe! Deepak Hooda had his heart in his mouth for a moment but survives. It's the off cutter from Natarajan, bowled on a good length and angled across the batter. Hooda gets taken aback and ends up getting a top edge around the cover region. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tries to get to it from point but isn't able to. Single taken.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Leg bye! Stifled appeal from T Natarajan but pitching outside leg it seems. Fuller and around leg, Rahul misses the flick. The ball goes off the pads and towards covers. The batters get a leg bye and the replay confirms that it was indeed outside leg.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Pace is a good thing but when the line is not right, it can be used against you and Deepak Hooda is doing just that. On the hips and whipped away over the fine leg fence for a biggie. Umran Malik is proving to be really expensive here.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Big swing and a miss! Good-length, around off and Hooda throws the kitchen sink at it. He gets beaten for pace though.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! The quicker the ball is, the quicker it's racing away to the fence. Length ball, at 152.4 kph. Deepak Hooda just makes room and swings through the line of the ball. He doesn't get a good connection but the ball skips across the turf and past mid on for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Quick single this time. Angled into middle and leg, Rahul looks to heave it leg side but ends up getting an inside edge onto the pads and the ball goes towards short leg. They scamper through for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Around 149 clicks, full again and close to the off stump. Hooda squeezes it out towards deep cover for one.

Will we see another bowling change here? Yes, Umran Malik is back on. He has gone for 23 runs in his two overs so far.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Carved away! Deepak Hooda seems to have Umran Malik's number. Full and wide at 150.1 kph. Hooda just goes over point and the ball ends up in the fence in a flash.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Nice bit of timing from Rahul. Length, around off and punched on the up to the right of the man at sweeper cover for two more.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Bhuvi looks for the yorker tailing into the toes but serves a low full toss. KL Rahul clips it towards wide long on and picks up a couple of runs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, Around the top of off, Hooda hits it on the up and gets it down to long on for another single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Just another single. Outside off, Rahul taps it towards deep cover and rotates the strike.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, Full and straight, flicked away towards deep square leg for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Deepak Hooda, A slower length ball on off. Hooda looks to go big downtown but gets it off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Nearly carried back to the bowler! Pitched up, around off. Rahul pushes it uppishly back towards the bowler but luckily for him, the ball falls short.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Shepherd sees Hooda advancing and bowls it slower again. Hooda can only push it towards wide long off for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, No wide given and rightly so. Deepak Hooda shuffles across and Shepherd bowls it slower and down the leg side. Hooda misses the lap and the ball goes a few inches past the leg stump.

Romario Shepherd to KL Rahul, Just short of a length, Rahul pulls it down to long on for a single.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Shepherd goes fuller and a bit slower. Hooda pushes it down to long on for one.

Romario Shepherd is back on. He went for 10 runs in his first over and got the wicket of Manish Pandey.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, ! Deepak Hooda on the charge here! Romario Shepherd comes back into the attack and tries to attack the pads, Hooda moves leg side and swings it high and handsome over the square leg fence for a biggie. The 50 partnership is also up between these two.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, This is bowled on middle, Rahul punches it to extra cover and calls for 'No' straightaway. Lucknow slowly but surely growing into the game.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Length, on the fifth stump line. Hooda nudges it through covers for a run.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Full and wide, squeezed away to the left of the fielder at deep backward point and Deepak Hooda picks up a couple of runs.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Slower one, slanted into middle. Rahul bunts it down to long on and collects a single.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Two more! Angling into middle and leg, just dabbed down in front of square on the leg side for an easy brace.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Natarajan comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a length outside off. Rahul hangs back and slaps it towards deep point for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Ohh... Bhuvneshwar Kumar got his hand to it but the ball just goes over the fence in the end! This is on the shorter side,on off and at 145 clicks. Hooda makes a bit toom and just guides this ball towards the third man fence. Bhuvneshwar Kumar there, jumps and gets a hand to hit but the ball pops out and goes over the fence. A maximum in the end and 20 runs from this over!

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, A low full toss on middle. Rahul drives it to long on for a single.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, ! Third boundary of the over! Lands on a length, around off. Rahul smashes it towards deep point for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, ! Lovely shot! This is on the shorter side, around off at 151.8 kph. Rahul sways away a bit and just opens the face of his blade. Uses the pace well and it races away towards the third man fence.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, A fullish delivery, around off at 151.2 kph. Hooda drives it to sweeper cover for a single.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, ! Good shot! Malik tries a yorker but it ends up being a low full toss on middle. Hooda makes room and creams it through covers for a boundary.

Drinks! Hyderabad have come out today with an aggressive intent and so far it has worked wonders for them. Kane Williamson decided to use Washington Sundar right from the second over and he has uprooted two hard-hitting left-handers. KL Rahul has his work cut out in front of him and he will now look to stitch a partnership with Deepak Hooda to give Lucknow a platform to launch at the death. A couple of wickets in the middle overs for Hyderabad and they will be right on top of proceedings. Al

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Good start from T Natarajan! Lands on a length and it is angled across Rahul. He looks to push it away but gets beaten.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller and it's a slower delivery at 121.6 kph. Hooda works it to long on for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Slightly on the shorter side, outside off. Hooda punches it to deep extra-cover for a couple.

T Natarajan to KL Rahul, Another single! On a length, on middle. Rahul pushes it to long off for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, A fullish delivery, around off. Hooda drives it to deep cover for a single.

T Natarajan to Deepak Hooda, Lands on a length, on middle. Hooda works it to mid-wicket.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, Slightly shorter and provides the width. Hooda cuts it to sweeper cover for just a single.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, Goes flatter on off. Rahul knocks it down to long on for a single.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, It is shorter on off. Hooda pulls it to long on for a single.

Abdul Samad to Deepak Hooda, Very full and quicker on off. Hooda digs it out to point.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul drives it to long off for a single.

Abdul Samad comes into the attack now.

Abdul Samad to KL Rahul, ! A gift from the bowler and Rahul is not going to miss out on that. A full toss on middle. Rahul smashes it straight down the ground for a boundary.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, This time a full ball, on middle. Rahul works it to mid-wicket. Good start from the pacer!

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, It is shorter and outside off. The pace if around 145 kph this time. Rahul looks to guide it away but misses.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Goes fuller on off. Rahul drives it back to the bowler.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller, outside off. Hooda drives but gets a thick outside edge. The ball goes just away from the diving point fielder for a single towards third man. A single taken.

Umran Malik to Deepak Hooda, Beats him for pace! Lands on a length and angling into middle and leg at 147.5 kph. Hooda looks to work it towards the leg side but misses. The ball hits him high on the pads and s stifled appeal follows but going down leg and too high.

Umran Malik to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off at 148 kph. Rahul punches it off the outside half of his blade to thired man for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, A low full toss on off. Rahul drives it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to Deepak Hooda, Shorter and flatter on middle. Hooda punches it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Pushed quicker again on off. Rahul turns it to mid-wicket for a single.

Washington Sundar to Deepak Hooda, Goes fuller and quicker on off. Hooda drives it to long on for a single.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Sundar serves it flatter and slightly shorter on off. Rahul chops it to cover-point.

Romario Shepherd to Deepak Hooda, Short of a length, around off. Hooda hops and keeps it down on the leg side.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! CAUGHT! Romario Shepherd has his reward for being persistent and that is another soft dismissal for Manish Pandey. Back of a length again, over middle stump. Pandey walks towards the ball and tries to force it over the man at mid on. The ball comes off the toe end of the bat and is chipped straight towards Bhuvneshwar Kumar at mid on. Bhuvi takes the simplest of catches and that is an unecessary shot from Pandey. Shepherd though seems elated and Luc

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Goes slower and fuller on middle. Rahul works it to square leg for a single.

Deepak Hooda is the next man in.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, Back of a length, around middle and tucked away off the back foot towards mid-wicket.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! Just over! Romario Shepherd goes short again and Pandey takes him on. This is angled into the body and Pandey flat-bats it over a jumping Umran Malik at the square leg fence for a maximum.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, ! Gets right on top of the bounce on this occasion does Manish Pandey. Short of a length, around off and pulled powerfully along the ground into the mid-wicket fence.

Romario Shepherd to Manish Pandey, Shepherd hits the length hard first up and bowls it on off. Pandey dabs it down towards mid on.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, On middle, pushed down to long on for a single and Manish Pandey is off the mark. End of another successful over from Washington Sundar.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, A bit of turn now and Sundar is proving to be a thorn for Lucknow. On middle and this one spins in sharply. Pandey gets caught on the crease and is pushed back as he looks to tuck it away. He misses and gets hit on the pads.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Pushes this quicker and outside off. Pandey chops it to point.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Pitches outside off and it turns into Pandey. He looks to cut but misses.

Washington Sundar to Manish Pandey, Tossed up, outside off. Pandey drives it to covers.

Manish Pandey is the next man in.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, ! LBW! Evin Lewis is a goner and Washington Sundar is on fire! Two left-handed batters have fallen prey to the off-spinner and one has to question whether Lewis should have been sent in and not Manish Pandey. Just a regulation delivery, on a length and sliding into middle and leg. For a third time, Lewis gets down on one knee and looks to sweep but misses. He is rapped on the back leg and this time it is adjacent enough to be given out. Rahul questions

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, ! KL Rahul getting into the groove now. Bit of width on offer and this is classically driven on the up, through cover for a boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Good running! On middle, Rahul plays it with soft hands into the vacant space around the mid-wicket region and races back for the second.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Evin Lewis, Around the hips, Lewis sets up to pull but ends up just jabbing it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Evin Lewis, Top delivery from Bhuvi! A yorker this time, nailed just outside the off stump. Evin Lewis looks to jam it out but is well beaten.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A length ball, well outside off. Rahul taps it through the point region for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Full and straight, driven firmly towards mid on.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, Down the leg side, Lewis misses the paddle sweep yet again and gets hit on the pads.

Washington Sundar to Evin Lewis, NOT ! A very tight call but Evin Lewis survives. On a length and Washington Sundar slides this time into middle stump. Lewis misses the sweep and gets pinged on the pads. Washington Sundar seems very interested but the appeal is turned down. The skipper though has obliged and takes the review. It seems straightforward on first glance and UltraEdge confirms that there's no bat involved. Ball Tracker though shows that it is umpire's call on wickets hitt

Evin Lewis walks in at number 3.

Washington Sundar to Quinton de Kock, ! TAKEN! Skipper Kane Williamson takes a brilliant catch and the move to bring the off-spinner at the start has worked wonders for Hyderabad. This is flighted from 'round the wicket and bowled on middle. Quinton de Kock makes a bit of room and looks to cover drive. He does so but uppishly and times it well. Williamson though springs to his right at covers and pouches it with both hands. De Kock's weakness against the off-spin has been exploited and

Washington Sundar to Quinton de Kock, Sundar gives it more air and drifts it into leg stump. De Kock pushes it back to the bowler.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, Straightaway now Sundar pulls back his length. Shorter, on middle and leg. Rahul works it in front of square on the leg side for one.

Washington Sundar to KL Rahul, ! Lovely shot from KL Rahul. Washington Sundar starts off with an overpitched delivery on middle. Rahul makes a bit of room and creams it through extra cover to bring up the first boundary of the match.

Washington Sundar to start from the other end.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Tidy start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just 3 runs off it. A bit wider this time and Rahul slashes it hard towards the right of third man for a run.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, A length ball, slanted into middle and leg. Rahul nudges it towards square leg.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Quinton de Kock, Bhuvi drifts onto the pads and de Kock is able to get off the mark. Sliding down leg, tucked away to fine leg for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Quinton de Kock, Nicely timed but for no run. Full and wide, Quinton de Kock strokes it to the man at extra cover.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, KL Rahul and Lucknow are underway! Around off, pushed gently towards covers for a quick single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar starts off with a fullish delivery, on off. There's a bit of away shape on offer and KL Rahul gets solidly behind it to keep it out.

We are all set to begin! The umpires make their way into the middle. Hyderabad players are in the huddle and they now disperse to take their respective postions. KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock are the openers for Lucknow. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start with the ball for Hyderabad. KL Rahul will be on strike. Here we go...

So Hyderabad going with an unchanged team and it will be interesting to see if they will make any changes to the batting order, with the likes of Aiden Markram more than capable to bat at the top of the order. However, they need to bowl well first and they will be banking on Bhuvneshwar Kumar to make early inroads with the new ball. Lucknow, on the other hand, now looks even stronger unit with Jason Holder in the lineup and let's see how he goes about his business against his former team.

KL Rahul, the skipper of Lucknow, says that they would have wanted to bowl first as that has been the trend. Informs that they have once change willth Holder coming in for Dushmantha Chameera. Tells that with the new ball one always tries to hit that good area but is is about assessing the conditions and executing in the middle. Adds that Jason Holder is one of the top all-rounder and he strengthens both batting and bowling. Says that the win in the last game was a confidence booster and adds

Kane Williamson, the skipper of Hyderabad, says they will have a bowl first. He adds that they take conditions into account while selecting the playing XI and the surface seems pretty similar to the ones that have been used and there's potential due on the cards as well. Mentions that the game is about fine margins and hopes to put on a better performance tonight. Informs that there are no changes to the playing XI and gives an update about his elbow and says that it is better now.

 Hyderabad (Unchanged Playing XI) - Kane Williamson (C), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan. 

Lucknow (Playing XI) - KL Rahul (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder (In place of Dushmantha Chameera), Avesh Khan, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi.

TOSS - The coin goes up and lands in favour of Hyderabad. They have elected to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Rohan Gavaskar is pitchside and he says that it is a fresh pitch and it's an even 70 meters square of the wicket on both sides. He adds that at this stadium back of the length was the way and you couldn't pitch it up but tonight it is a different track and the pacers will look to pitch it up a bit further and the likes of Bhuvi will get more help.

... MATCH DAY …

It’s time for the battle of Nawabs and Nizams as Lucknow get ready to lock horns against Hyderabad. We welcome everyone to our coverage as we get ready for another mouth-watering contest of this 15th edition of the Indian T20 League. 

Lucknow, one of the newest entrants in the Indian T20 League started the tournament with a loss in a close encounter but came back with a more clinical display in the second game. In both the games so far, the new franchise has displayed great fighting spirit and the depth of their batting department has been the highlight of their performance so far. Jason Holder is set to be available for selection in this game and that will boost their seam attack which has been a tad expensive. However, it

Hyderabad, on the other hand, had a forgettable outing in the last game. The bowling unit with enough quality bowlers leaked far too many runs while the new batting lineup just couldn’t handle the pressure of the big score and failed miserably. They seem to be heavily dependent on a few international stars and they need their local talent to contribute with the bat if they want to go deep in the tournament. Can they lift themselves up and produce a better performance this time around? Or will

Jason Holder has got his cap in the Lucknow huddle. So expect at least one change in the Lucknow lineup.