The 67th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, saw Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) emerge victorious by 18 runs against Mumbai Indians (MI).
MI won the toss and elected to field first. LSG got off to a shaky start as Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed for a golden duck. KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis steadied the innings during the powerplay, but Stoinis departed on the last ball of the powerplay for 28. Deepak Hooda followed soon after, falling cheaply.
However, a scintillating counter-attack by Rahul and Nicholas Pooran shifted the momentum towards Lucknow. The duo stitched together a crucial 100-run partnership, with Pooran showcasing his destructive power with a rapid-fire 75 off just 29 deliveries, including a staggering eight sixes. His knock, the second-fastest fifty for LSG in terms of balls faced (19) and the third IPL fifty under 20 balls, helped Lucknow post a competitive total of 214.
Nuwan Thushara and Piyush Chawla emerged as the bowling heroes for MI, claiming three wickets each while maintaining an economical spell of around seven runs per over.
In reply, the five-time IPL champions started positively with Dewald Brevis and Rohit Sharma laying a strong foundation with an 88-run opening partnership. However, rain interrupted their momentum. While Brevis fell soon after the resumption, a bigger blow came in the form of Suryakumar Yadav who was dismissed for a duck.
Hitman, who was batting well, fell for a well-made 68. The loss of wickets and tight bowling by the visitors put immense pressure on MI batters. They lost their way in the middle overs before Naman Dhir tried his best to salvage the chase with a valiant unbeaten knock of 62. However, a lack of support from the other end meant the hosts fell short by 18 runs.
Ravi Bishnoi and Naveen-ul-Haq were the pick of the Lucknow bowlers, taking two wickets each, while Mohsin Khan and Krunal Pandya chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Nicholas Pooran, with his explosive knock, was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match.
This win ensured LSG finished the season with seven wins and seven losses, while MI had a disappointing campaign, finishing at the bottom of the table with just four wins in their 14 games.
Scorecard:
Lucknow Super Giants: 214-6, Overs 20, Nicholas Pooran 75, Nuwan Thushara 3/28
Mumbai Indians: 196-6, Overs 20, Rohit Sharma 68, Ravi Bishnoi 2/37