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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by one run in yesterday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With the close win, LSG became the third team to qualify for the playoffs.
Sent into bat after losing the toss, Lucknow recovered from 73-5 to post a competitive 176-8 as Nicholas Pooran hammered 58 off 30. For Kolkata, Rinku Singh (67* off 33) again reignited what seemed like a lost cause in the chase with a stupendous knock. It wasn’t enough, though, as Kolkata fell just short.
Defending a target of 177, Lucknow seemed in command, as Kolkata needed 41 runs from the last two overs, with three wickets in hand. Rinku, though, clobbered Naveen-ul-Haq for three fours and a six in the penultimate over to race to a 27-ball fifty.
The equation came down to 21 off the last six balls. Yash Thakur bowled a couple of wides but kept things relatively quiet otherwise. With three sixes needed of the last three balls, Rinku smacked a maximum over deep midwicket. The next ball was slammed to long-off but produced only four. The last ball was a full toss, and the KKR batter smashed it over long-on for another six. LSG survived to confirm their place in the top four.
KKR got off to a decent start in their chase as Jason Roy (45 off 28) and Venkatesh Iyer (24 off 15) added 61 in 5.5 overs. Iyer, though, chipped a catch off Krishnappa Gowtham to extra cover, while Roy was cleaned up by a skidder from Krunal Pandya.
Nitish Rana (8), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (10) and Andre Russell (7) all fell cheaply as Kolkata lost half their side for 120 before Rinku revived the chase.
Pooran blitz lifts LSG to 176-8
Batting first, LSG were in big trouble at 73-5 in the 11th over. Opening the batting, Karan Sharma (3) miscued a pull off Harshit Rana. Vaibhav Arora (2-30) then dismissed Prerak Mankad (26 off 20) and Marcus Stoinis (0) in the same over. Mankad miscued a slower one, while Stoinis gloved a brute of a bouncer to slip.
Krunal Pandya (9) mistimed a slog sweep off Sunil Narine (2-28), while Quinton de Kock (28 off 27) also slog-swept a wrong'un off Varun Chakravarthy to deep midwicket. Pooran and Ayush Badoni (25 off 21) then added 74 for the sixth wicket to lift LSG.
Pooran began his innings by smashing Chakravarthy for 4, 4, 6 and maintained the tempo of his knock. He reached a 28-ball fifty by lofting Shardul Thakur for a maximum over deep-point. Another six followed before he holed out to wide third man.
KKR vs LSG: Who won Player of the Match in yesterday's IPL 2023 match?
Pooran was sensational with the bat for Lucknow, slamming four fours and five sixes. Ravi Bishnoi stood out with figures of 2-23, claiming the wickets of Nitish Rana and Andre Russell.
For KKR, Narine, Thakur and Arora claimed two scalps apiece, while Rinku played another astonishing innings, albeit in a losing cause. Pooran, though, was named the Player of the Match for his stunning knock.
