At the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Friday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) thrashed Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 56 runs in match number 38 of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Atharva Taide led the way for the home team with a 36-ball 66, but the total needed to be chased down proved to be too much in the end.
Despite scoring at a respectable rate to reach 201 in 19.5 overs, Punjab was still trailing the game despite needing almost 13 runs per over to mount an unlikely recovery.
Atharava Taide played effectively in the field, scoring 66 off 36 balls for his first fifty-plus score in IPL history. However, players like Liam Livingstone (36 off 22) and Sikandar Raza (23 off 14) were unable to bat for an extended period of time to exert pressure on the opponent. Shikhar Dhawan, the captain, only played two balls after returning. The most effective bowler was the young pacer Yash Thakur, who finished with 4/37 in 4 overs.
LSG had won five of the previous eight games, while Punjab Kings had lost four of those contests.
Punjab were scoring at more than 10 runs per over when they reached 152 for 4 in 15 overs, but even Livingstone and Sam Curran (21 off 11) were unable to complete the job of adding 106 runs off the last 30 balls.
Earlier, Marcus Stoinis and Kyle Mayers' attacking fifties propelled LSG Giants to a record 257/5 victory over PBKS.
Kyle Mayers' 54 off 24 helped Lucknow get out to a fast start. Later, LSG maintained its strength during the middle overs thanks to an 89 run partnership between Marcus Stoinis and Ayush Badoni.
LSG set a mammoth total of 257/5 on the board, the second-highest total in IPL history, thanks to Nicholas Pooran's 19-ball 45 quickfire. The 2013 match between Pune Warriors and RCB saw them score 263/5 in 20 overs, which is the highest IPL total to date.
Gurnoor, a PBKS rookie, bowled a superb first over, conceding only two runs. Atharva Taide, who had both hands on the ball to his left but fumbled it, might have caught LSG captain KL Rahul, who attempted to drive the ball up and away.
Mayers smashed five boundaries and a huge six on a free shot in three overs, destroying the bowlers. Kagiso Rabada struck first in the fourth over, returning Rahul after allowing a six on the previous ball.
Mayers reached his fifty off only 20 balls during the powerplay as he continued to attack PBKS bowlers with huge knocks. Rabada, though, didn't give the dangerous batter much time on the crease and quickly removed him when he reached his half-century. LSG had a record of 74 for 2 after the power play.
Marcus Stoinis and Ayush Badoni held the LSG bowlers at bay with their measured knocks as they maintained the attack, putting up an 89-run third-wicket stand off of only 47 balls. LSG was strong in the middle overs, scoring 110 runs between the seventh and fifteenth overs for the loss of just one wicket.
In the 13th over, Rahul Chahar came dangerously close to trapping Stoinis, but Liam Livingstone botched the catch at the boundary, allowing the batsman to live and hit a six.
Badoni appeared to go for another maximum when he swept over deep backward square leg for six runs in the next over. However, Livingstone emerged victorious as he was able to end the lethal partnership by firing Badoni for 43.
Chahar made a wonderful low catch as Badoni top-edged the ball towards the fielder at deep square leg. Additionally, Pooran hit back-to-back three boundaries to end the over.
After that, Stoinis and Pooran kept up the pace and managed to put up a partnership of 76 runs in only 30 balls. Sam Curran eventually broke the partnership in the last over, sending Stoinis back for the score of 73.
In the last over, Arshdeep stopped Pooran from reaching fifty runs. The former attempted to scoop it but missed, and Jitesh Sharma gathered it admirably behind the stumps. However, the umpire gave no out call, and PBKS requested a review. The ball missed the bat and flicked the pad on its way to the keeper, according to the replay. Therefore, the choice to lbw out is now reversed.
LSG completed their innings with 257/5 in 20 overs, with five runs coming off the last two balls.
