 "IPL 2023: Last-ball thriller sends LSG to playoff against KKR, supporters exhilarated")
synopsis
IPL 2023: Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders in the City of Joy on Saturday by a run, thanks to Nicholas Pooran's sensible batting. While the visitors moved into the playoffs, the hosts were knocked out, leaving Lucknow buffs amazed.
It was another nail-biting thriller, as Lucknow Super Giants eeked out against two-time former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by a run in Match 68 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. The conquest ensured the visitors' place in the playoffs, while the hosts were knocked out, leaving the Nawabi fans delighted.
After winning the coin toss, KKR opted to chase, as LSG lost opener Karan Sharma (3) in the third over of the PowerPlay (PP) to pacer Harshit Rana, with just 12 runs on the board. Nevertheless, a 41-run stand ensued between fellow opener Quinton de Kock (28) and Prerak Mankad (26) before the latter fell to pacer Vaibhav Arora in the seventh.
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Soon, Lucknow was down to 73/5 by the 11th before Ayush Badoni (25) and Nicholas Pooran (58) put on 74 for the sixth. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine broke the partnership in the 18th at 146/7 by dismissing the former. Thereon, the team could not get any alliance going and finished at a par total of 176/8, with the latter scoring his sixth IPL 50 before being the seventh wicket to fall at 159 in the penultimate over.
For Kolkata, Arora, Narine and pacer Shardul Thakur seized a couple each, whereas off-spinner Nitish Rana was duly economical. While the hosts brought leg-spinner Suyash Sharma as its Impact Player during the visitors' innings, before the chase, the latter brought medium-pacer Yash Thakur for Karan. The Knight Riders' openers Jason Roy (45) and Venkatesh Iyer (24) put on an emphatic 61-run stand before the latter perished to off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham in the sixth over of the PP.
Thereon, KKR struggled to get a partnership going and kept losing wickets every 20-odd runs. While it was down to 136/7 by the 18th, Rinku Singh (67*) and Vaibhav Arora (1) added an unbeaten 39, with the former engaging in brutal hitting throughout, as he struck his third IPL half-century.
Unfortunately, it was so near, yet so far for Kolkata, as it fell short by a run, while Rinku tried his best against pacer Yash Thakur, with 20 needed off the last six balls. For the Super Giants, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and Thakur held a couple each, while the former was economical.
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