Impressive all-round performance boosted Lucknow Super Giants to a dominant 33-run win over inconsistent Gujarat Titans at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday. After Marcus Stoinis' 58-run knock, bowlers Yash Thakur and Krunal Pandya bowled brilliantly to help LSG defend 163 runs in the 21st match of the IPL 2024.
A win boosted Lucknow to their third successive win of the season and to the third position in the points table. On the other hand, Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans suffered their third defeat of the season.
Batters from both teams struggled for big knocks but young Indian pacer Yash Thakur proved the difference between the two teams. Yash took five wickets for 30, including a double-wicket maiden over, to produce the first five-wicket haul in the IPL 2024.
KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bat first with no changes to Lucknow's playing eleven while Gujarat handed a debut to wicketkeeper batter Sharath BR and recalled fit-again Spencer Johnson.
Umesh Yadav dismissed in-form Quinton de Kock in the very first over and then took the valuable wicket of Devdutt Padikkal to give the Titans a flying start. KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis then produced a 73-run stand for the third wicket.
Rahu scored 33 runs off 31 balls as he lost his wicket while attempting a big shot off Darshan Nalkande. Stoinis managed to register his first fifty of the season by top-scoring with 58 off 43 balls before losing his wicket to Nalkande.
In-form Pooran remained unbeaten on 32 off 22 as Lucknow posted a fighting total of 163/5 in 20 overs. Nalkande and Umesh claimed two wickets each while Rashid Khan picked one for the Super Giants.
Gujarat enjoyed a promising start with opener Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan adding 54 runs for the first wicket but Lucknow made a stunning comeback through Thakur. The right-arm pacer removed Gill in the sixth over to give Lucknow a breakthrough and then Gujarat failed to find a way back into the game.
Krunal Pandya also contributed with a brilliant spell as he dismissed Sudharsan and debutant Sharath in the ninth over. Thakur also bowled a double-wicket maiden over which completed the ended Lucknow's slim hopes for a comeback.
Thakur finished the game with another double-wicket over to register his first-ever five-wicket haul in the IPL and LSG's second. Thakur claimed the Player of the Match award ahead of Stoinis and Krunal for his brilliant bowling figures of 5/30.
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis (substituted by Manimaran Siddharth), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mayank Yadav.
Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), Sharath BR (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Spencer Johnson, Darshan Nalkande, Mohit Sharma (substituted by Kane Williamson).
