MUMBAI : Rohit Sharma and Naman Dhir’s fiery knocks went in vain as Mumbai Indians (MI) conceded an 18-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
The hosts had a stupendous start while chasing a 215-run target but after the end of the fourth over, rain played a spoilsport for which the game was halted for a few minutes. However, that did not break the MI openers’ momentum as Rohit Sharma (68 runs from 38 balls, 10 fours and 3 sixes) and Dewald Brevis (23 runs from 20 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) played a partnership of 88 runs.
The opening partnership was broken in the ninth over after Naveen-ul-Haq removed Brevis from the crease. After the dismissal, the Mumbai-based franchise started losing quick wickets.
In the 10th over, Suryakumar Yadav was removed by Krunal Pandya for a three-ball duck. Suryakumar’s dismissal stopped MI from making a comeback in the match.
Ravi Bishnoi picked a crucial wicket in the 11th over as he dismissed Rohit from the crease. After the former MI skipper’s dismissal, things have changed for Mumbai, as the visitors started to get an upper hand on the match.
Skipper Hardik Pandya (16 runs from 13 balls, 1 four and 1 six) and Nehal Wadhera (1 run from 3 balls) tried their best to pull MI but failed.
In the 14th over, Mohsin Khan picked up Hardik’s wicket, and just after one over, Bishnoi removed Wadhera from the crease.
In the last over of the second inning, Naveen-ul-Haq picked up an important wicket of Ishan Kishan (14 runs from 15 balls, 1 four) to break his 68-run partnership with Naman Dhir.
Naman Dhir’s (62* runs from 28 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) stunning knock in the later half of the run chase shed a ray of hope on the MI dugout as they hoped that the hosts could win the match but he failed to clinch a win in the end.
In the final over, Naman started with a six but Ishan’s wicket broke their momentum. However, the youngster ended the match with a six over the extra over but still MI conceded an 18-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Naveen-ul-Haq and Ravi Bishnoi led the LSG bowling as both of them picked up two wickets in their respective overs. While Krunal Pandya and Mohsin Khan took one wicket each.
Earlier in the first inning, openers KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal came out to bat but the LSG didn’t get the start that they wanted as the visitors lost the first wicket on the third ball of the match as Padikkal was dismissed by right-arm seamer Nuwan Thushara.
After Padikkal’s dismissal, right-hand batter Marcus Stoinis joined Rahul. Both of them put on a partnership of 48 runs before Stoinis was dismissed by Piyush Chawla. Stoinis made 28 runs with the help of five fours.
Following Stoinis’s wicket, Deepak Hooda came to bat. The Lucknow franchise completed their fifty in 6.3 overs.
Rahul and Hooda were able to put in just 20 runs as Chawla struck again when the team score was 69. The leg spinner dismissed Hooda at just 11 runs in the 10th over.
With Hooda’s wicket, left-hand batter Nicholas Pooran came out in the middle. The Super Giants touched the 100-run mark in the 13th over.
Rahul and Pooran completed their 50-run partnership in 13.1 overs.
The LSG side completed the 150-run mark in 14.4 overs as Pooran slammed a boundary on the off-spinner Naman Dhir.
Both batters completed their 100-run partnership in 15.5 overs as Rahul smashed a boundary on the bowling of Romario Shepered.
Both of them put on a partnership of 109 runs before Pooran was dismissed after playing a marvellous knock of 75 runs in just 29 balls which was laced with eight maximums and five boundaries in the innings. He scored runs at a magnificent strike rate of 258.62.
Rahul was dismissed after playing a brilliant knock of 55 runs off 41 balls which included three fours and sixes each in his innings.
In the end, Krunal Pandya and Ayus Badoni played valuable unbeaten knocks which took the side to 214/6 after the completion of the first innings.
The pick of the bowlers for Mumbai Indians were Nuwan Thushara and Piyush Chawla. Both of them snapped three wickets each in their spell of four overs.
Brief score: Lucknow Super Giants 214/6 (Nicholas Pooran 75, KL Rahul 55, Marcus Stoinis 28; Nuwan Thushara 3/28) beat Mumbai Indians 196/6 (Rohit Sharma 68, Naman Dhir 62*, Dewald Brevis 23; Ravi Bishnoi 2/37). (ANI)