Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) delivered a comprehensive performance with both bat and ball to defeat table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) by 33 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 22.
Chasing a target of 236 runs, GT's batters showed intent with good starts from their top four. Sai Sudharsan scored 21 runs, while skipper Shubman Gill contributed a brisk 35 off 20 balls. Jos Buttler added 33 runs off 18 deliveries, and Sherfane Rutherford managed 38 off 22 balls. However, none of them managed to convert their starts into the substantial score required for such a mammoth chase. Shahrukh Khan kept GT's hopes alive with a blistering 57 runs off just 29 balls, including five fours and three sixes. Despite his efforts, the hosts' innings collapsed once Rutherford fell, and they ultimately finished well short of the target. For LSG, replacement bowler William O'Rourke was exceptional, picking up three crucial wickets while conceding just 27 runs in his four overs. Avesh Khan secured two wickets, and Ayush Badoni, bowling the final over of the innings, also claimed two wickets as GT concluded their innings at 202/9 in 20 overs.
It was Mitchell Marsh who remained the architect of LSG's emphatic win with his maiden IPL century, setting up team's commanding total. He scored a lightning 117 runs off 64 balls, laced with 10 fours and eight sixes. Aiden Markram provided a solid foundation with a good start of 36 runs off 24 balls. Nicholas Pooran then continued the momentum with an unbeaten knock of 56 runs off just 27 balls, which included four fours and five sixes. All the GT bowlers struggled, leaking runs and failing to pick up regular wickets. Only Arshad Khan and Sai Kishore managed to taste success, claiming one wicket each.
If we'd stopped them at 210-220 it would've been better: Shubman Gill after GT's defeat against LSG
Meanwhile, GT captain Shubman Gill, after the match, revealed what went wrong for his team. Gill admitted that LSG bowlers gave 15-20 extra runs and had they stopped LSG batters to 210-220 things would have been different.
"We gave 15-20 extra. If we'd stopped them at 210-220 it would've been better, that was a huge difference. (Was bowling first just to test things out before the playoffs?) No, honestly. We bowled well in the powerplay, yes, we didn't get wickets. But they scored 180 in the next 14 overs which was a lot. We were right in the game till the 17th over. Shahrukh and Rutherford batted well. Getting momentum back will be key in the next game," Gill said at the post-match presentation.
GT's final league match will be against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 25 while LSG will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 27 in their campaign-ending match.