IPL 2023: Lucknow Super Giants lose plot

LSG skipper walks off after being dismissed for 68 against GT at Lucknow on Saturday. Pic/BCCI; IPL

If one wants to learn how to lose an IPL match from a winning position, the game at the Ekana Stadium here on Saturday evening provided the perfect example.
Requiring 136 and cruising along comfortably at 100-1 in a mere 13.1 overs, the home team lost the plot as the Gujarat Titans bowlers turned the tables in the last few overs to win the low-scoring game by seven runs.

Skipper loses touch

Despite Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul seemingly set to take his team across the line, he just lost his touch after reaching his half-century in just 38 balls. He could not accelerate when it mattered and with wickets crumbling at the other end, his team fell short, losing their second game at home in a close finish. Rahul ultimately made 68 off 61 balls, meaning he could manage just 16 runs from 23 balls after reaching the half-century. In the earlier home defeat too, Rahul had made 74 from 56 balls against Punjab Kings and ended up on the losing side.

GT players celebrate a LSG wicket on Saturday. Pic/PTI

The spectators were stunned into silence as the 2015 World Cup veteran pace bowler Mohit Sharma took two vital wickets - Rahul and Marcus Stoinis - off successive balls in the last over, which was followed by two run-outs to add to the misery of the home team. When 12 were required from the last over, Mohit conceded just four runs to choke the home team and provide his team an unexpected win.

Shami smashed

After facing a lot of criticism for his slow batting in earlier games, Rahul was aggression personified at the start of his innings. However, the way he began the chase, playing out Mohammed Shami's first over as maiden, it seemed it would be the same dour Rahul on show again. But after the Shami maiden over, he struck him for three successive boundaries in his second over to become the fastest Indian to cross 7,000 runs in T20 cricket. Just a few days ago he had reached the 4,000-run milestone in the game against Punjab, which incidentally his team went on to lose. How badly LSG mucked up the chase can be gauged from the fact that, after reaching 100 in only 13.1 overs, the team could not get 35 more in the last seven overs and the batters, including Rahul, failed to hit a boundary in the last seven overs, the last one coming in 12.3 overs. Being the home team, the management cannot blame the low and slow black-soil pitch for the disaster. Having played three earlier matches here, they should have got used to the conditions.

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Earlier, after being put into bat, Gujarat relied on Wridhhiman Saha's 47 from 37 balls and Hardik Pandya's 66 from 50 deliveries, while the rest just could not get going. A total of 135-6 did not seem formidable till LSG dug their own grave by thoughtless batting in the second half of the chase.

Krunal claims two

Krunal Pandya emerged LSG's best bowler as he snapped two wickets, giving away just 16 runs after coming on to bowl in the second over. Pacer Naveen-ul-Haq (1-19) and Marcus Stoinis (2-20) also did the job, but Ravi Bishnoi had a forgettable outing, conceding 49 off his quota of four overs.

Brief scores
GT 135-6 in 20 overs (H Pandya 66, W Saha 47; K Pandya 2-16, M Stoinis 2-20) beat LSG 128-7 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 68; M Sharma 2-17, N Ahmad 2-18) by seven runs

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