Lucknow Super Giants won their third successive match after defeating Delhi Capitals to move to No.2 in the points table of IPL 2022. Chasing 150, LSG were anchored by Quinton de Kock) before some nervous moments towards the end of the game. However, Krunal Pandya and Ayush Badoni held their nerves to steer Lucknow to another victory.
A total of 149 was always going to be difficult for the Capitals to defend. De Kock snuffed out any remaining hope by pushing the total to 122 with nine fours and two sixes. LSG needed 28 from 24 balls with seven wickets in hand when the left-handed opener fell. Krunal Pandya got 14 runs off Mustafizur Rahman’s 19th over to make it five runs off six balls and secure the game.
LSG won by six wickets for the third time in four games, bringing them equal on points with Kolkata Knight Riders at the top of the table.
Earlier, spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Krishnappa Gowtham used frugal spells in the middle overs to help LSG recover from the damage caused by opener Prithvi Shaw’s early attack (61 runs off 34 balls).
Bishnoi concluded with statistics of 4-0-22-2, having taken two wickets for 13 runs by the conclusion of the 11th over. Gowtham, on the other hand, bowled a maiden to Rishabh Pant in the 12th over and concluded with excellent figures of 4-0-23-1. Then, with a stunning exhibition of death bowling, Jason Holder and Avesh Khan put an end to Capitals’ goal of keeping wickets and attacking in the slog overs.
Pant and Sarfaraz Khan, the Capitals’ fourth-wicket partnership, had prepared for the last onslaught by getting their eye in and then plundering 18 and 13 runs in the 16th and 17th overs, respectively. LSG’s West Indian all-rounder, bowled the 18th over for six runs and the last over for six runs . With the exception of a wide ball, Holder gave Pant and Sarfaraz Khan only six singles in the last over.
The Capitals, who had their two big name acquisitions, David Warner and Anrich Nortje, available for the game, put in a poor performance. Nortje’s gamble with the Capitals flopped. The speed ace appeared under-cooked after an extended layoff owing to a hip issue. After 2.2 overs, he was hauled off the field for bowling two beamers in the game.
Quinton de Kock is adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning knock of 80 off 52 deliveries as Lucknow Super Giants win by 6 wickets.
LSG vs DC Playing XI:
Delhi Capitals Playing XI: Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Anrich Nortje
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan
