IPL 2023: LSG Book Playoffs Spot with 1-run Win over KKR Despite Rinku Singh Heroics

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) booked their spot in the IPL 2023 Playoffs after beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 1 run in match number 68 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.

LSG finished with eight wins from 14 games and 17 points in third position on the IPL points table to secure their back-to-back playoffs qlaification. With 12 points from 14 matches, KKR were out of play-offs contention.

IPL 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants – HIGHLIGHTS

KKR started their chase with intent as Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Roy samshed the LSG bowlers all over the park but just before end of the powerplay, Iyer was caught by Ravi Bishnoi off Krishnappa Gowtham.

Skipper Nitish Rana soon followed, with Krunal Pandya completing the catch off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling. LSG captain Krunal struck to bamboozle Jason Roy.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rinku Singh tried to steady he ship but Yash Thakur dismissed the former with Bishnoi again holding on. Andre Russell’s lethargic stay at the crease was ended by Bishnoi as Yash Thakur removed Shardul Thakur and Sunil Narine was run out.

Rinku Singh though battled on till the last, hitting a 33-ball unbeaten 67 but felljust short of helping KKR scorss the finishing line.

The left-handed Rinku smashed Naveenul-Haq for three fours and one six in a 20-run penultimate over to bring up his fifty in 27 balls. KKR needed 21 runs off the last over bowled by Yash Thakur (2/12) but they could score only 19 as Rinku hit two sixes and a four.

Earlier, Nicholas Pooran led LSG’ fightback with a quickfire fifty (58 off 30) and guided them to 176/8 against KKR.

LSG were reeling at 73/5 after 10.1 overs but Pooran stitched an attacking partnership of 74 runs for the sixth wicket with Ayush Badoni (25 off 21) and helped them post a fighting total. The likes of Shardul Thakur (2-27), Sunil Narine (2-28) and Vaibhav Arora (2-30) picked two wickets each for KKR.

Asked to bat first, LSG had a sedate start before Harshit Rana got rid of Karan Sharma in the third over. Karan ended up getting late on the hook to a short ball and handed Shardul Thakur an easy catch.

However, the arrival of Prerak Mankad at the crease made Quinton De Cock open up too. Both De Cock and Mankad hammered the KKR bowlers for the rest of the Power-play, scoring 40 runs in 21 balls as LGG were 54/1 after 6 overs.

It was Vaibhav Arora, who brought KKR back in the game by removing both Mankad (26 off 20) and the in-form batter Marcus Stoinis (0) in the same over. In a must-win game, LSG needed a big contribution from his captain but Krunal Pandya couldn’t do much, scoring just nine runs before getting out to Sunil Narine.

Very soon, De Kock (28 off 27) got out and things looked bleak for LSG. Pooran, however, came with positive intent and started on a brisk note. He attacked Varun Chakravarthy but offered a lot of respect to his West Indian teammate Narine while Badoni perfectly played the second fiddle.

LSG were hoping that the two batters would make the most of the death overs but both Badoni and Pooran got out in the 18th and 19th overs respectively. However, thanks to their massive hits before getting out, LSG managed to squeeze 54 off the last 4 overs and managed to reach 176/8 in 20 overs.

(With inputs from Agencies)