Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Lucknow Super Giants scored an easy win over Chennai Super Kings at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday by eight wickets. KL Rahul was the star of the show as his half-century helped the team chase down the target of 177 with one over to spare.
KL Rahul (82) and Quinton de Kock (54) stitched a 134-run opening stand for the team and the foundation of a victory was set. Nicholas Pooran sealed off the game with a cameo in the end helping his franchise secure an eight-wicket win.
Earlier in the day, CSK were reduced to 68/3 but Ravindra Jadeja played a knock of unbeaten 57 runs from 40 balls to stage a recovery. Moeen Ali contributed with 30 runs while MS Dhoni played a cameo of unbeaten 28 runs from just nine balls. Jadeja's knock and the aggression from the lower order batters helped CSK post 176/6 on the scoreboard. Krunal Pandya was the pick of the bowlers with a couple of wickets to his name.
Match Live Updates Start From Here
- Over 16-19 (LSG 180/2)
Pathirana dismissed Rahul thanks to a blinder from Ravindra Jadeja but that didn't affect LSG's run chase. Nicholas Pooran ensured a smooth finish for the team with his knock of unbeaten 23 runs from 12 balls. When he came in to bat, the chasing side needed 43 runs from five overs and the cameo played by the Caribbean batter helped the team complete the chase with one over to spare. - Overs 11-15 (LSG 135/1)
Jadeja had almost got his wickets, but Pathirana dropped a tough chance off Quinton de Kock on 31. Moeen Ali bowled a tight first over, but then both the batters released the pressure scoring 14 runs off Jadeja's third over as LSG marched ahead towards the target. Except for that catch drop, we haven't seen any batter struggling. Quinton de Kock completed his half-century as well. Soon after his half-century, Quinton de Kock was sent back to the pavilion as he played on straight into the hands of the wicket-taker MS Dhoni. However, KL Rahul has been finding boundaries with ease and dictating the game as the bowlers are bowling in the areas that he wants. - Overs 7-10 (LSG 89/0)
LSG bossing the chase so far. They had their slice of luck as well. QDK has looked a little scratchy but Rahul though has been aggressive. They have scored at more than 9 per over. They attacked their wicket-taker bowlers, something which has helped them to put pressure on the visitors. CSK now need a barrage of wickets and some luck as well to turn this around. LSG just need to keep going and this should be an easy walk in the park barring the slippery icing. The partnership is off 84 runs now and Gaikwad has tried all of his weapons against the pair. CSK need a magical spell from someone who can pick three wickets quickly and help them make a comeback in the contest otherwise LSG might play to improve their net run rate instead of chasing for only two points. - Overs 1-6 (LSG 54/0)
Deepak Chahar started off on a tight note, but then KL Rahul slammed the first sixer of the essay. Tushar Deshpande conceded 11 runs in his second over. The ball then seemed to come nicely on the bat as Rahul took Chahar down and scored a four and a six in the 6th over. Overall, Lucknow have started well in the chase of 177 runs as they haven't lost a wicket in the powerplay, for the first time in the ongoing season, and scored more than 50 runs. CSK desperately need a wicket to put pressure back on the hosts. Probably, they have missed the trick here as they haven't bowled a spinner yet.
END OF CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS
- Overs 16-20 (CSK 176/6)
CSK took the strategic timeout after the 15th over and have decided to take on LSG bowlers to reach somewhere around the 180-run mark. Jadeja smashed a boundary to Yash Thakur and collected eight runs in the over. Jadeja then got a lifeline and completed his half-century on the same ball as Deepak Hooda didn't drop the catch and the ball crossed the ropes. Jadeja brings out his trademark sword celebration for his fifty. Moeen Ali then saw Ravi Bishnoi as an opportunity to play some big shots and smashed three back-to-back sixes before losing his wicket in the over. The crowd made a lot of noise as MS Dhoni walked down the stairs and to the middle. Now pressure on LSG pacers with him being in the form at the crease for the last two overs. Dhoni smashed a boundary and six against left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan. However, he then made a remarkable comeback and conceded only three runs after that. Yash Thakur conceded 19 runs in the final over of the innings as Dhoni whacked him for a six and couple of fours in the final over. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 28 off 9 balls, striking at a strike rate of 311.11 including two sixes and three fours. Jadeja made not out 57 runs off 40 balls as CSK post 177-run target against the formidable batting lineup of LSG. - Overs 11-15 (CSK 105/5)
As soon as Shivam Dube came into the middle, KL Rahul handed over the ball to his pacer Yash Thakur. Yash bowled a decent over, conceding only 6 runs. He then brought Stoinis into the attack and he delivered a wicket on the first ball of his spell that too of in-form Shivam Dube. CSK sent Sameer Rizvi, the impact player of the team to replace Ajinkya Rahane, at number six but he even couldn't send the ball out of the park and instead lost his wicket to Krunal Pandya. Moeen Ali and Jadeja then didn't take any risks and dealt in only singles and doubles. They didn't even show the intent of scoring boundaries. This surface is a 200 run pitch, but CSK will still need 160 odd runs to defend with an extra advantage with an impact player rule. LSG slipping in extra overs from their 6th bowler quota has ensured they don't need to bowl out one of their frontliners. Bishnoi likely to bowl one more. Mohsin two more and the remaining two could be rotated according to match scenario. - Overs 7-10 (CSK 81/3)
Rahane and Jadeja forged a small partnership and scored those runs quickly to brought the back momentum their favour. They gave some respect to Krunal Pandya, who bowled stump to stump deliveries, and then Rahane and Jadeja both smashed boundaries against leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi to collect 11 runs of his first over. However, right after the strategic timeout, Krunal Pandya sent back Rahane in the dugout. Jadeja still managed to find a boundary in Pandya's second over. Shivam Dube didn't look in a great touch as he found difficult to time the ball correctly. It's not the pitch where a batter can hit slog the ball as soon as he comes on the pitch. Jadeja once again smashed a boundary against Ravi Bishnoi with a sweep shot. The game is hanged in a balance after halfway of the first innings. - Overs 1-6 (CSK 51/2)
Ajinkya Rahane came out to bat as an opener replacing skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad on the top and off the mark with a first-ball boundary against LSG debutant Matt Henry. Rachin Ravindra's poor form continued as he got bowled for a golden duck by Mohsin Khan in the second over of the match. Rahane and Ruturaj then tried to put some pressure back on the bowlers by collecting 13 off the second over of Henry. Yash Thakur, who came as one change bowler, removed the CSK skipper for 17. Jadeja walked into the middle at number four instead of Shivam Dube. These major changes in the batting order will give results in their favour or will hurt the visitors the time will tell, but it is something that is a very rare thing we see from CSK. Overall, the powerplay is shared by both the teams as CSK scored 50 runs while LSG picked up a couple of wickets. - Impact Substitutes
Lucknow Super Giants: Sameer Rizvi, Shardul Thakur, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner
Chennai Super Kings: Arshin Kulkarni, Krishnappa Gowtham, Yudhvir Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Arshad Khan - Playing XI
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul(wk/c), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Matt Henry, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana - Update
New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry has been handed debut for Lucknow Super Giants. - Toss
Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to field first on the red soil pitch.
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