Lucknow Super Giants rise at Knights' expense in Eden Gardens match

Chasing a daunting 237/3 set by LSG, KKR fell agonizingly short at 234/7, despite a valiant late onslaught from Rinku Singh, who smashed an unbeaten 38 off just 15 balls as the home team remained stranded so close to the victory line.

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bowl. LSG came out to bat on a pitch that looked bald and filled with runs.

Under an afternoon sun Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram showed why they are now the most talked about openers of this edition of the IPL. While Aiden pulled and drove anything offered short and, on the middle, and leg, Marsh cut, swept, and drove both Spencer and Harshit with ease. 

Spencer’s opening spell of two overs cost him 30 runs and Rana’s single over cost him 16, as LSG reached 50 in 5.2 overs. The duo reached 95 for no loss in 10 overs.

Rana came back from the Pavillion End and was hit by Aiden for a boundary to the third-man region.

Rana made a little change bowling one full outside off that jagged back to rattle his off-stumps, much against the run of play ending abruptly the first wicket partnership of 99 off 62 deliveries.

Markram’s flashy innings was over at 47 off 28 balls, studded with two 6s and four boundaries. 

Meanwhile, Marsh picked up his fourth fifty in five matches reaching 53 of 36 balls with four hits to the fence and three over it.

He was joined by Nicholas Pooran, who went hammer and tongs from ball one. The duo reached their 50-run partnership in 19 balls. 

Rahane brought Andre Russell to the attack and he immediately tasted success getting the prized wicket of Mitchell Marsh. Otis Gibson’s comments that he was a partnership breaker stood true as Russ bowled one short and wide, taking off the pace.

Marsh looked to slap it away, but went only as far as Rinku Singh at deep point. He made 81 runs off 48 balls peppered with six boundaries and five whopping sixes. Pooran’s juggernaut, meanwhile, continued unabated as he raced to 52 off 21 deliveries.

He finished the innings at 87 off 36 deliveries that had seven hits to the fence and eight to the galleries. LSG finished their stipulated overs 237 for three wickets.

KKR began the run chase putting their best foot forward, but only till the third over as Bengal boy Akash Deep slipped one fast and precise that hit Quinton de Kock on the back foot.

A review showed him plumb. Once again KKR was in a spot of bother with QDK returning for 15.

But KKR quickly stemmed the rot with Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine firing on all cylinders. KKR reached 50 in 3.4 overs and by the end of six overs reached 90 for 1. The duo breached the 50-run partnership in just 19 deliveries.

While Ajinkya looked classy picking the deliveries and driving in the V and pulling the short ones, Narine gave himself space and hooked balls over the boundary and slashed and flicked hard.

The seventh over saw the introduction of Digvesh Rathi who saw a duel between the bowler and his idol. The student had the last smile as Narine slashed one too long off for Markram to complete the catch.

Narine is out for 30 off 15 balls and Divesh does the notebook celebrations only this time writing on the ground.

At the midway mark, KKR was 129 for 2 with Rahane and Venkatesh on the crease. Rahane’s half-century came off a cheeky shot sweeping Avesh Khan to the fine leg boundary to reach 51 off 26 balls. The Ajinkya-Venkatesh duo also completed the 50 runs partnership off 30 balls.

The 13th over Shardul Thakur bowled five wide deliveries on a trot. He, however, redeemed himself in the over taking the prized wicket of Rahane--61 (35 balls). Rahane’s eyes lit up seeing a juicy full toss but he chipped it straight to Pooran in the covers ending innings peppered with eight fours and a six. Ramandeep went the next over, pegging back the KKR chase.

In walked Impact Sub Angkrish Raghuvanshi and out he went four balls later. Venkatesh went three balls later for 45 off 29 balls, mistiming an Avesh Khan. At 172 for 6 in the 15th over things looked difficult for KKR.

But the super-finisher duo of Andre Russell and Rinku Singh were at the crease with 54 needed off 24 deliveries. But Russ’s poor form continued as he went for 7 to Shardul Thakur. With his dismissal, the run chase frittered out with Rinku Singh left to battle it out alone with no recognised batter for support.     

The nail-biting victory propelled LSG into fourth place on the points table — at least for now.