Lucknow Super Giants won a close game against Mumbai Indians in an all-round poor performance during IPL 2024 after bowling their opponents out for a measly 144 runs. Marcus Stoinis was the player of the day, knocking 62 runs with the bat and recording 1 for 19 with the ball that helped LSG win the crucial game at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Lucknow was tasked with the chase of a modest 145 on a not-so-fast wicket. Lucknow lost an early wicket as Nuwan Thushara opened the attack by dismissing Arshin Kulkarni for a golden duck. KL Rahul took up the role of anchorman, which was cautious by accumulating runs and showing full intent to stay till the end, depending on other batsmen.
Despite early hiccups, Stoinis banked the ship for LSG due to some aggressive strokeplay, especially hitting Gerald Coetzee for back-to-back boundaries in the second over. However, Mumbai managed to level things when skipper Rahul was dismissed for 28, thanks to a brilliant catch by Mohammad Nabi off Hardik Pandya's bowling, adding a thrilling twist to the contest.
As the match proceeded, Stoinis remained in great form to add another fifty but LSG seemed to be reeling towards the end, making it a nail-biter till the final over. However, the experience of Nicholas Pooran helped Lucknow eventually to cross the finishing line four balls to spare, propelling them to the third position in the IPL 2024 points table, while Mumbai Indians languished at the ninth position with just three wins in ten matches, significantly cutting their playoff dreams.
Earlier, Lucknow's bowling was well assisted by the effortless half-centuries by Stoinis and Jamun. Mumbai's innings was well-helmed by Nehal Wadhera's stubborn 46 and Tim David's late onslaught of 35, which helped them to a total of 144 for 7. Lucknow's strategic bowling during the Powerplay reaped dividends, with Stoinis scalping the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav and Mohsin Khan getting rid of skipper Rohit Sharma.
Mumbai's batting also did not get off to a good start due to Tilak Varma's run-out and the early dismissal of Hardik Pandya. They were struggling at 28 for 4 after the Powerplay. Despite a brief partnership between Nehal Wadhera and Ishan Kishan, Mumbai could not pick up momentum in front of Lucknow's disciplined bowling attack.
Nehal Wadhera's grim innings gave Mumbai something to handle, but his efforts were not enough to take them out to a competitive score. Added to this, Mayank Yadav's injury left Mumbai with worse bowling options.
In the end, Lucknow Super Giants were on top, chasing down the score with grit and composure, while Mumbai Indians were left to contemplate their poor campaign in the IPL 2024.
Brief Score:
Mumbai Indians 144 for 7 in 20 overs (Nehal Wadhera 46, Tim David 35; Mohsin Khan 2-36, Naveen-ul-Haq 1-15) lost to Lucknow Super Giants 145 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Marcus Stoinis 62, KL Rahul 28; Hardik Pandya 2-28, Nuwan Thushara 1-30) by four wickets.
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