Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
The 36th match of IPL 2025 is critical for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as their season is at a crossroads. The team is reeling after three straight defeats, including a heartbreaking loss in the Super Over against Delhi Capitals, so a win here is vital to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In what makes things trickier for the Royals, Sanju Samson is in doubt after retiring hurt with a side injury against DC. This places more pressure on Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has somewhat carried the top order in recent games as the batting lineup has struggled for impact.
RR run into Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), whose strong season so far has been underpinned by batting impact. RR have largely found the going difficult with the ball, and if they’re not on their game here, LSG have the players to pounce. Also, Mayank Yadav is back for LSG and will add a different dimension to the LSG attack.
In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIIs, Jaipur pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 36th match of IPL 2025.
IPL 2025 36th Match: RR vs LSG Possible Playing XIIs
It is a strong possibility that Sanju Samson will miss this game. He couldn’t continue batting against DC after injuring his side. “He has done some scans so we are waiting the results of those scans. And then once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of [the injury] we’ll take a decision going forward and we’ll see what happens,” said coach Rahul Dravid, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
If Samson is out, Shubham Dubey could come into the team with either Nitish Rana or Dhruv Jurel promoted to opener. 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi is another option.
Rajasthan Royals (if Samson is out): 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Dhruv Jurel (wk), 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Riyan Parag (c), 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Shubham Dubey, 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. Tushar Deshpande/Akash Madhwal, 12. Kumar Kartikeya
Mayank Yadav is set to make his first appearance in IPL 2025. He could replace Akash Deep.
LSG are aiming to bounce back after losing a game they could have easily won against CSK. Rishabh Pant’s captaincy will be in the spotlight after some questionable calls in that clash.
Lucknow Super Giants: 1. Aiden Markram, 2. Mitchell Marsh, 3. Nicholas Pooran, 4. Rishabh Pant (c & wk), 5. Ayush Badoni, 6. David Miller, 7. Abdul Samad, 8. Shardul Thakur, 9. Avesh Khan, 10. Mayank Yadav, 11. Digvesh Rathi, 12. Ravi Bishnoi
Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur Pitch Report and Weather
The only game in Jaipur so far this season was a day game between RR and RCB. The hosts struggled for fluency in their innings, working hard to reach 173 on a surface that was slightly two-paced. However, RCB chased the target with ease.
This night game is likely to prompt the captain who wins the toss to chase as there is a chance of dew. The average first innings score on this ground in the past two seasons is 179, so it’s not the highest of scoring grounds.
A very hot evening is forecast with a top of nearly 40 degrees at the start of the match. There is no chance of rain.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for RR vs LSG: Top Picks/Key Players to Watch
Top wicket-keepers:
- Nicholas Pooran is the Orange Cap holder with 357 runs at a strike rate of 208.77. He is striking at 212.9 against spin this season. In domestic T20s, he strikes at 229.4 against Wanindu Hasaranga (39 off 17 balls) and 162.3 against Maheesh Theekshana in all T20s (86 off 53 balls).
Key batters:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal has struck three fifties in the past four games. Against LSG, Jaiswal has scored 133 runs in four games at an average of 33.25 and strike rate of 141.49.
- Mitch Marsh has hit four fifties in six matches this season at a strike rate of 171.51.
Top all-rounders:
- Aiden Markram bowled four overs against CSK and he should get overs here as well as RR have a number of left-handers. Plus, Markram has been in decent form with the bat with two fifties in his past four matches.
- Riyan Parag remains a top pick with 406 Dream11 points so far in IPL 2025. He has made plenty of starts this season but the big score still evades him. Also, he fields in the hotspot positions where he can bag catches.
Key bowler picks:
- Jofra Archer has a big matchup against Nicholas Pooran. In all T20s, Archer has dismissed Pooran three times for 35 runs in 29 balls.
- Shardul Thakur is LSG’s top wicket-taker this season with 11.
Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
- Dhruv Jurel can be a good pick if he bats up the order. He is striking at 155.46 with 185 runs this season (avg. 37.00).
- Nitish Rana can be a risky pick given he has batted in different positions for RR this season. He is coming off an excellent fifty against DC, so he is in good form.
- Ayush Badoni has made scores of 41, 30, 28* and 22 in his past four innings. Three of those have come when batting first. He can be a good differential pick if LSG is batting first.
- Rishabh Pant spent some time at the crease with 63 (49) against CSK. He has scored 23 (11) in the IPL against Wanindu Hasaranga and 27 off 15 balls (no dismissals) in T20s against Maheesh Theekshana.
- Digvesh Rathi has taken at least one wicket in every match so far in IPL 2025. He can be a very handy pick especially if LSG bowls first.
Other Stats and Important Matchups
- Head-to-head: Matches 5, RR 4, LSG 1.
- Avesh Khan vs Yashasvi Jaiswal: 13 balls, 20 runs, no wickets.
- Shardul Thakur vs Yashasvi Jaiswal: 13 balls, 26 runs, no wickets.
- Maheesh Theekshana vs Aiden Markram: 46 balls, 68 runs, one wicket.
- Avesh Khan vs Nitish Rana: 23 balls, 29 runs, two wickets.
- Ravi Bishnoi vs Shimron Hetmyer in all T20s: 37 balls, 24 runs, three wickets.
- Sandeep Sharma vs Rishabh Pant: 29 balls, 28 runs, one wicket.
IPL 2025 36th Match: RR vs LSG Dream11 Prediction
Option 1 (if Sanju Samson is out):
Option 2:
IPL 2025 36th Match: RR vs LSG Match Prediction – Who will win?
On form, LSG look the good pick. But, this will be a competitive game. However, LSG’s strong batting will get them over the line.
