In a thrilling encounter at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) concluded their TATA IPL 2024 journey on a victorious note, defeating the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 18 runs. The match, which was fixture 67 of the tournament, witnessed high drama, stellar individual performances, and strategic brilliance.
The highly-anticipated game began with the home team, MI, winning the toss and electing to bowl first. MI made a few significant changes to their squad, the most notable being the inclusion of Arjun Tendulkar in place of the injured Jasprit Bumrah. The switch aimed to strengthen their bowling attack, but it set the stage for a gripping contest.
LSG’s innings can be characterized as a tale of two halves. Initially, the LSG batting line-up, despite showing promise, struggled to gain momentum in the first 10 overs of the match. The MI bowlers, led by the experienced Piyush Chawla, applied consistent pressure and took crucial wickets at regular intervals. By the halfway mark, LSG found themselves in a precarious position, with the scoreboard reading 69 for three. The responsibility to stabilize and accelerate the innings fell onto the shoulders of KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran.
Opening the LSG innings, Devdutt Padikkal, promoted up the order, was dismissed for a duck in the very first over, trapped leg-before by Nuwan Thushara. Marcus Stoinis provided some resistance with a brisk 28 off 22 deliveries, including five boundaries, but his efforts were cut short as Chawla struck once again, trapping him leg-before just as the powerplay ended. Following Stoinis’s departure, Deepak Hooda also couldn’t make a significant impact, falling to a sharp catch by Nehal Wadhera off Chawla’s bowling.
It was then that Nicholas Pooran took charge to revive the innings. Despite contributing nothing off his first three balls, Pooran blistered his way to fifty in just 19 balls, effectively blasting his fifty in a mere 16 balls afterward. His incredible display of power-hitting quickly transformed the innings. In the 13th over, Pooran took 22 runs off it with two mammoth sixes, signaling the start of an onslaught. When Arjun Tendulkar, who had been cramping, returned to bowl the 15th over, Pooran dispatched him for consecutive sixes over the leg-side. Tendulkar then exited the field, leaving Naman Dhir to complete the over, which Pooran continued to dominate, plundering the over for a total of 29 runs.
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Simultaneously, Rahul, the steadying force for LSG, reached his half-century off 37 balls. However, Pooran’s explosive innings finally came to an end when Thushara returned and had him caught for an explosive 75 off just 29 deliveries. The departure of Pooran and Rahul within quick succession — with Rahul falling to Chawla — left LSG at 178 for six, still eyeing the 200-run mark.
The final overs saw Krunal Pandya and Ayush Badoni contributing crucial runs, as they pushed LSG’s total to a formidable 214 with strategic boundaries and effective running between the wickets.
In response, MI’s chase was anchored by their captain Rohit Sharma and the young South African, Dewald Brevis, who was promoted to open the batting. The opening partnership flourished, amassing 88 runs in just over eight overs. Sharma, in particular, was in imperious form, racing to his fifty in only 28 balls, treating the Wankhede crowd to a scintillating array of shots. Brevis, meanwhile, played a supporting role, contributing 23 runs before his dismissal, which stalled MI’s innings and paved the way for LSG to mount a comeback.
As the innings progressed, MI’s middle-order faltered under pressure. Suryakumar Yadav’s attempt to accelerate was cut short when he holed out to the deep off Krunal Pandya. The most devastating blow for MI came when Rohit Sharma, having scored a brilliant 68, was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, caught at short third man, effectively halting the MI charge.
With the required net run-rate escalating, the spotlight turned to MI’s younger players. Naman Dhir emerged as a bright spot, displaying incredible resolve and skill. Dhir reached his half-century in the final over of the match, striking a six off Naveen-ul-Haq. Despite his valiant efforts, which culminated in an unbeaten 62 off just 28 balls, the task proved insurmountable for MI. They needed 34 runs off the last over, an uphill battle that saw them fall short by 18 runs.
LSG’s victory was a product of a collective bowling effort, with Krunal Pandya setting the tone with a disciplined spell of one for 29 in his four overs. Bishnoi’s contribution was equally vital, taking two wickets for 37 runs, effectively containing MI during the crucial middle overs.
Thus, in a match brimming with excitement and competitive spirit, it was LSG who emerged triumphant, signing off their IPL 2024 campaign in style with an 18-run victory over MI.