Lucknow Super Giants. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
Kolkata Knight Riders faced off against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 54 of the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR put up a strong batting performance, led by Sunil Narine, and scored 235/6 before sealing an impressive 98-run victory over LSG at the Ekana Stadium on Sunday. With this win, KKR reached 16 points and their superior Net Run Rate helped them claim the top spot on the league table, ahead of Rajasthan Royals.
KKR’s batting performance marked the first instance of a 200-plus score at the venue, and LSG’s team never seemed to be in control of the chase despite choosing to bowl first. They lost control of the game as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Finally, they were bowled out for 137 runs with almost four overs to spare.
Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table
Lucknow can still dream of playoff spot
Lucknow Super Giants currently have 12 points in 11 matches. Their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 8 will be crucial. If LSG manage to win their next three matches, they will qualify for the playoffs. However, any further setbacks on the way might shatter their playoff dreams. In the upcoming games, they will be hoping to win against Delhi Capitals and struggling Mumbai Indians.
LSG Captain KL Rahul credited Sunil Narine and Phil Salt for putting together a monumental target in front of the home team, a pressure so big that young LSG bowlers could not surmount.
“It was a lot of runs to be scored in the second innings. When you are chasing a big total, you are trying to go too hard and you end up losing wickets. Just a poor performance overall. We didn’t (hit our lengths on a consistent basis), just been a poor performance overall with bat, ball and in the field. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, in the powerplay, we’ve seen how they bat and they do put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Our young bowlers couldn’t handle that kind of pressure and he hit some really good shots,” said Rahul in the post-match presentation.