LSG vs MI Dream11 Prediction, Match 16 – Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing 11, Pitch Report & Key Picks | IPL 2025
The action continues in IPL 2025 as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 16th match of the tournament at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 7:30 PM IST. With both sides having one win and two defeats from their first three games, this match could prove vital in shaping the early dynamics of the points table.
🏏 Match Preview: LSG vs MI
The Mumbai Indians bounced back in style after a shaky start to their campaign. They dismantled Kolkata Knight Riders in their last outing, with Ashwani Kumar leading the charge by claiming 4 wickets, restricting KKR to just 116 runs. In the chase, Ryan Rickelton’s half-century ensured MI crossed the line without breaking a sweat. With their confidence restored, MI will now look to make it two wins in a row.
Lucknow Super Giants, meanwhile, have had a roller-coaster start. Despite showing promise, they’ve been inconsistent, especially with the ball. Their recent loss to Punjab Kings dented their Net Run Rate (NRR), and playing at home could be the perfect opportunity to bounce back. With a solid batting unit and a few tweaks in the bowling department, LSG will hope to make the most of the home advantage.
Who will win today’s IPL match between LSG vs MI?
📍 Match Details
- Match: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians, Match 16, IPL 2025
- Date & Time: April 4, 2025 – 7:30 PM IST
- Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
- Live Streaming: JioCinema, Star Sports, Sports18
🌦️ Weather Forecast
Clear skies are expected during the match with temperature around 29°C and low humidity (around 9%)—ideal conditions for an even contest.
🏟️ Pitch Report – Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
The pitch at Ekana is known for being a bit of a mystery. While red soil offers bounce and grip, the surface tends to favor spinners more often than not, especially in the middle overs. Seamers who use variations wisely also get some reward. The average first-innings score hovers around 165–166, and teams generally prefer chasing, though wins are evenly split between batting first and second.
- Average First Innings Score: 166
- Pace vs Spin: 50% Pace | 50% Spin
- Toss Strategy: Bowl first
🔁 Head-to-Head Record
- Total Matches: 6
- LSG Wins: 5
- MI Wins: 1
LSG has dominated MI historically, winning five out of six games—a psychological edge going into this contest.
🔍 Top Player Stats This Season
| Player | Team | Runs/Wickets | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Pooran | LSG | 189 Runs | 3 |
| Mitchell Marsh | LSG | 124 Runs | 3 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | MI | 104 Runs | 3 |
| Ryan Rickelton | MI | 81 Runs | 3 |
| Shardul Thakur | LSG | 6 Wickets | 3 |
🔥 Top Fantasy Picks – LSG vs MI
🎯 Top Captain Picks
- Nicholas Pooran (LSG): The leading run-scorer of IPL 2025 so far with 189 runs at a blistering strike rate of 219.77. He’s a safe captaincy bet given his red-hot form.
- Suryakumar Yadav (MI): Has looked sharp and confident. A middle-order maestro who could anchor or accelerate as needed.
🧠 Vice-Captain Options
- Mitchell Marsh (LSG): Two fifties in three matches, averaging over 40 with the bat this season. He’s in top touch.
- Hardik Pandya (MI): A genuine all-rounder threat. Can swing momentum with both bat and ball. Handy vice-captain option.
⚠️ Players to Avoid in Dream11
- Aiden Markram (LSG): Hasn’t fired yet this season. Despite getting starts, he’s been unable to convert them into big scores.
- Robin Minz (MI): Still finding his footing, struggling to get past single digits so far in IPL 2025.
🧢 Probable Playing XIs
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):
Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rishabh Pant (c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan
Impact Sub Options: Manimaran Siddharth, RS Hangargekar, Akash Deep, Shahbaz Ahmed
Mumbai Indians (MI):
Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Sub Options: Vignesh Puthur, Robin Minz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
💡 Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestion – Match 16
Wicketkeepers: Nicholas Pooran (C), Ryan Rickelton
Batters: David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni
All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya (VC), Mitchell Santner
Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult
Credits Used: 95.5/100
Balance LSG vs MI Players: 5 LSG, 6 MI
🎯 Final Thoughts
With both teams eager to gain momentum, this match could go down to the wire. While LSG has the better head-to-head record, MI’s recent win and their star players returning to form make them serious contenders. For fantasy cricket, it’s crucial to bank on current form rather than reputation—Pooran, Marsh, and Suryakumar Yadav should be the backbone of your Dream11 lineup.
Keep an eye on the toss—it could determine your final team tweaks.
📌 Fantasy Tip: Go for bowlers who can exploit the grip and bounce—Santner, Bishnoi, Boult, and Thakur are gold on this pitch.
Rivcky John
A prominent figure in sports journalism for the last two decades. Cricket Analyst & Writing News, Features, Match Previews/Reviews/Reports, And Opinion Pieces on Cricket. You can connect with him on Facebook also.