Lucknow Super Giants held their nerve in a high-octane, high-scoring contest to edge past Kolkata Knight Riders by four runs in a pulsating IPL encounter at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday. (Highlights | Schedule | Points Table)
On a night dominated by batting fireworks, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane rolled back the years with a reinvented, power-packed 61 off 35 balls, nearly pulling off KKR라이브 바카라 highest-ever run chase.
But LSG's spin attack, led by Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi, applied the brakes just in time to seal a thrilling win limiting themm to 234/7.
LSG jumped to fourth spot with six points after their third win, while KKR remained on four points at sixth place.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh (81 off 39) continued his sensational form with a fourth fifty of the season, while Nicholas Pooran launched a brutal assault with a 21-ball half-century, finishing unbeaten on 87 (not out), as LSG piled up their second-highest IPL total -- 238/3 -- after being put in to bat.
Rahane, usually known for his timing and elegance, stunned the LSG bowlers with audacious strokeplay.
In a transformed avatar, he tore into the Indian pace attack -- Akash Deep (43 in 3 overs), Shardul Thakur (30 in 2 overs), and Avesh Khan (17 in 1 over) -- setting up KKR라이브 바카라 best-ever powerplay score since 2017, racing to 90/1.
Rahane라이브 바카라 sparkling knock ended against the run of play, falling victim to Shardul Thakur라이브 바카라 wide-ball ploy.
After sending down five wides in the over, a frustrated Rahane chased a wide delivery and gifted a simple catch to Nicholas Pooran at cover. Incidentally, LSG bowled 20 wides in a tactical strategy that seemed to have worked in the end.
His transformed innings had put KKR firmly in control.
At 162/3 in 13 overs, KKR were cruising with a current run rate of 12.46, comfortably ahead of the required 11 per over, needing just 77 off 42 balls.
But Rahane라이브 바카라 dismissal stalled the momentum and triggered a collapse as KKR lost four wickets for just 15 runs, slipping to 177/6 in 15.2 overs.
LSG struck four times in as many overs as the boundaries dried up -- KKR went 13 balls without a four or six.
Ravi Bishnoi removed Ramandeep Singh in the next over — a surprising promotion ahead of the in-form Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh. The decision backfired.
Raghuvanshi too fell soon after, undone by a clever low yorker from Avesh Khan.
Attempting a reverse ramp, he only managed to lob a simple catch to Rishabh Pant, leaving KKR suddenly wobbling.
Avesh Khan leaked 14 runs in the penultimate over but Ravi Bishnoi managed to hold his nerve and defend 24 runs in the last over despite Rinku Singh라이브 바카라 presence at the crease.
Left-arm spinner Digvesh Rathi, a find of the season for LSG, impressed again with 1/33, including the prized wicket of Sunil Narine -- his idol -- off his very first ball.
His very first ball against Narine (30 off 13) had the Trinidadian mistiming a slash straight to long-off.
Aiden Markram completed the catch as Rathi, already under the scanner for his 'notebook' celebration (three demerit points), reprised it -- this time writing on the Eden grass.
Earlier once Quinton de Kock (15) fell to a DRS call in the third over, Rahane and Sunil Narine counter-attacked in stunning fashion, dismantling LSG's Indian pace attack with disdain.
Their assault yielded 50 runs in just 19 balls, powering KKR to their best powerplay score since 2017 -- 90/1.
Akash Deep bled 43 in three overs, Shardul Thakur leaked 30 in two, while Avesh Khan was hammered for 17 in a solitary over as Rahane and Narine tore into them on a batting-friendly Eden surface with a buttery outfield.
On a sultry afternoon, LSG's opening pair of Aiden Markram (47 off 28; 4x4, 2x6) and Marsh (81 off 48; 6x4, 5x6) gave them a blazing start, adding 99 runs off just 62 balls.
Pooran then lit up the evening with his 36-ball unbeaten 87, studded with seven fours and eight sixes, to power them to their second highest IPL total.
Such was the domination that LSG reached 95 without loss at the halfway stage and then added 143 in the last 10 overs with Pooran leading the carnage.
Marsh and Pooran added 71 runs off 30 balls for the second wicket in theh crucial 11-15 overs' phase that yielded 75 runs.
After Marsh's departure, Pooran stitched 51 runs from 18 balls with Abdul Samad (6) as LSG brilliantly acclerated their innings.
