Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings at Ekana, with Rishabh Pant calling the surface 'a little tacky' and saying LSG did not want to bat first on it.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also felt there was moisture in the pitch and said 170-180 could become a challenging total if Chennai started well. Both teams made changes, and two notable names missing from the starting XIs were Akeal Hosein for CSK and Digvesh Rathi for LSG. Neither absence appears to be injury-related from the toss updates. Both are tactical calls shaped by team balance, conditions and the Impact Player rule.

Why Akeal Hosein is not in CSK's starting XI

Akeal Hosein has been left out of CSK's starting XI because Chennai have reshuffled their overseas and bowling balance after Jamie Overton's injury. Overton has been ruled out of the season, and CSK have brought in Spencer Johnson for his debut to cover the pace-bowling hole. With Johnson coming in as an overseas quick and Noor Ahmad already locked in as the primary overseas spinner, Akeal had to make way.

Gaikwad confirmed at the toss that CSK made two changes: Spencer Johnson makes his debut, while Gurjapneet Singh comes in for Akeal. That tells the story clearly. CSK wanted extra pace on a surface with moisture, and they also needed to adjust after losing Overton’s seam-bowling role.

Akeal's omission does not mean CSK have lost faith in him. He has been useful this season with his control and left-arm spin. But with Ekana looking tacky and slightly moist at the start, Chennai appear to have prioritised seam options through Johnson, Gurjapneet, Mukesh Choudhary and Anshul Kamboj, while keeping Noor as their main spin weapon.

Why Digvesh Rathi is not starting for LSG

Digvesh Rathi's absence from the LSG starting XI also looks tactical. Rathi has had good moments this season, including wickets against CSK in the previous meeting, but he has also had expensive outings. LSG are already out of the playoff race, and Pant said they are trying a few things with next season in mind.

That is important. Akash Singh gets his first game of the season, and Pant also mentioned that Abdul Samad and Mukul Choudhary are back in the side. LSG are using these final games to test combinations, and Rathi seems to have been pushed into the substitute pool rather than starting.

On a tacky pitch, LSG could still use spin later, but they may have wanted to begin with pace and batting flexibility. If Rathi is part of the Impact Player options, he remains available depending on how the pitch behaves and how CSK’s innings develops.

Also READ: How Rishabh Pant's LSG hold IPL 2026 Playoff key even after early exit

LSG vs CSK Playing XIs

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav