Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lethal weapon Mohsin Khan kept the big guns quiet in the final over as the home side beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by five runs. In his third game for LSG this season, Mohsin’s top effort left big-hitter Tim David stranded to earn his side crucial two points after Marcus Stoinis’ authoritative unbeaten 89.
MI's run chase got off to a flyer as Rohit and Kishan fired from both ends. After a dry spell, Rohit Sharma took on the attack. Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mohsin Khan went for plenty as MI had 58 runs on the board after six overs. After the fielding restrictions were lifted, Swapnil Singh took a beating from Kishan in the 13-run over. Ravi Bishnoi bowled well and got the reward for it. Rohit went for the slogsweep but got caught well inside the boundary rope. He scored 37 runs from 25 balls including one four and three sixes. The MI skipper became Bishnoi's 50th IPL wicket. At halfway stage, MI were 92/1.
In the 11th over, Kishan reached his half-century from 34 deliveries with a boundary off Pandya. Bishnoi got another big wicket in the form of Kishan in his next over. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 59 runs from 39 balls including eight fours and one six. Nehal Wadhera and Suryakumar Yadav struggled to score freely against spinners. In the 15th over, Suryakumar went for his typical scoop shot but dragged the ball on to his stumps. Thakur got the big wicket as Suryakumar scored just seven runs from nine balls. Tim David got off the mark with a boundary first ball. Wadhera found a boundary from the over too. Naveen came back into the attack and conceded just six runs.
In the final four overs, MI needed 47 runs to win. Mohsin came back into the attack. Wadhera went for a pull shot but got caught at deep square leg by substitute fielder Krishnappa Gowtham. David hit him for a six in the same over to keep the required run rate in check. Imact player Vishnu Vinod who came out to bat ahead of Cameron Green got out in the 18th over after conceding just two runs from four balls. In the penultimate over, David hit a six off the second ball followed by a quick couple of runs. Naveen erred and bowled a high no-ball which passed the wicketkeeper and went for a boundary. Naveen bowled a dot ball on the free hit delivery. David managed to hit a six off the last ball to bring the equation to 11 runs in final over.
In the final over, Mohsin started off with a dot ball to Green. It was followed by two singles. Mohsin then pulled off two wide yorkers and conceded just a single. David scored just one run off the last ball as MI lost the game by five runs despite two big-hitters in the middle.
Earlier, Rohit won the toss and elected to field first. Deepak Hooda opened the innings and got an early reprieve when he was dropped by David in the second over off Jordan's bowling. Quinton de Kock hit the first six of the innings in the same over. In the third over, Jason Behrendorff struck twice. Hooda's poor run continued as David made up for the dropped catch. Hooda scored just five runs from seven balls. Half-centurion of the previous game, Prerak Mankad got out for a golden duck as he edged one to Kishan. Just one more six was hit in the powerplay overs. After six overs, LSG were 35/2.
Piyush Chawla struck off the first ball of his spell. De Kock got stumped by a googley. The Proteas batter scored 16 runs from 15 balls including two sixes. While Pandya worked the ball around for ones and twos, Marcus Stoinis took the risks and hit sixes. At halfway stage, LSG were 68/3. MI bowlers did well in the middle overs to stop LSG from accelerating. The partnership between Pandya and Stoinis grew and got them past the 100-run mark. After 16th over, Pandya walked off the field due to an injury. He has batting on 49 off 42 deliveries.
Akash Madhwal bowled an economical over conceding just six runs from it. In the 18th over, Stoinis started off with a six off Jordan. He reached his half-century from 35 balls. In the 24-run over, Stoinis hit Jordan for two sixes and three fours. In the penultimate over, Stoinis spoiled Behrendorff's bowling figures with two sixes. In the final over, Madhwal erred with his line conceding 15 runs. Stoinis finished the innings with a six. The Aussie all-rounder scored 89 runs from 47 balls including four fours and eight sixes. On the other end, Pooran remained unbeaten for a run-a-ball 8. Stoinis’ IPL career-best helped LSG post 177/3.
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