KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) closed out their IPL 2024 campaign with a convincing 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede stadium on May 17, Friday. This loss saw MI signing off the IPL 2024 at bottom of the table, managing a mere 8 points from their 14 matches.
LSG set a formidable target of 214 runs on the board, powered by a strong 109-run partnership between skipper KL Rahul (55 off 41 balls) and Nicholas Pooran's explosive knock of 75 runs off just 29 balls.
Despite a valiant effort from Rohit Sharma (68 runs off 38 deliveries) and a late surge by Naman Dhir (62 off 28 balls), MI's chase fell short. LSG bowlers took wickets at regular intervals, restricting them to 196 for 6 and securing a well-deserved victory.
KL Rahul's special message for Rohit Sharma's T20 World Cup campaign
Meanwhile after the match, KL Rahul, who hasn't been picked in India's T20 World Cup squad, said that he and his father-in-law Suneil Shetty will be cheering for Sharma ji ka beta i.e Rohit Sharma, in the upcoming marquee tournament
“I'm on my father in law's team now (referring to Dream11 Ad). We'll both be cheering for Sharma ji ka beta in the World Cup,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation.
Rohit will be leading Team India in the T20 World Cup 2024 which is set to start from June 2. India will look hold the coveted trophy yet again, having last tasted victory in the inaugural edition in 2007. Placed in Group A, they'll face USA, Canada, Pakistan, and Ireland.
The high-voltage clash against arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take on June 9. However, India's campaign begins on June 5 against Ireland, followed by the USA on June 12 and Canada on June 15. Interestingly, the first three matches will be played in New York, with the final group-stage game happening in Lauderhill. After their New York stint, the team will travel to the West Indies for the crucial Super 8 stage, aiming to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Talking about LSG's campaign at the IPL 2024, they didn't have a good season too as they finished sixth on the IPL 2024's points table. On being asked to comment on the same, Rahul said:
“Very disappointing. At the beginning of the season, I really felt we had a strong team and had most bases covered. Couple of injuries - happens to every team. We didn't play well enough collectively. Today was a really good performance. This is the kind of game we wanted to play more. Unfortunately we didn't do that. Really happy for them. Franchise has invested a lot of time and energy with them. It's not just two months in the year. We sent Mayank and Yudhvir to South Africa to train with Morne Morkel. Hard work for them has paid off, but franchise and the team has worked a lot with them. I'm not sure. There's not much T20 cricket coming up now. It's been a season where I've learnt a lot about my own batting and what I need to do to get back in the team. Maybe middle-order, maybe not. We would've ideally wanted him to bat higher, but with how the team's lined up, we want our senior international players bat in positions where they can absorb pressure. Didn't want our two overseas batters to bat close together”
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MI began their chase aggressively with Rohit Sharma leading the charge. He smashed consecutive sixes in the second over, putting the pressure on LSG. Even a rain interruption couldn't dampen Sharma's fiery knock. Upon resumption, his powerful strokes propelled MI to a strong 53/0 after the powerplay, with Sharma reaching a blistering fifty in just 28 balls. However, the early momentum wouldn't last. Dewald Brevis' dismissal for 23 was followed by a shocking duck from Suryakumar Yadav. By the halfway mark, MI found themselves at 92/2, their chase losing steam. The loss of Rohit Sharma for 68 runs, caught by Ravi Bishnoi, dealt a critical blow to their chase. Although Hardik Pandya started well, he was dismissed for 16 runs after misjudging a bouncer from Mohsin Khan. LSG's Ravi Bishnoi continued to dismantle MI's batting order, claiming another wicket with Wadhera's dismissal. Despite a late fightback from Naman Dhir, MI ultimately fell short by 18 runs in a thrilling encounter, handing victory to the Lucknow Super Giants.
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