LSG vs KKR 2024 Match Report: Kolkata secures dominant 98-run victory over Lucknow, tops Points-Table

KKR's Victory Propels Them to the Top

Kolkata secured a dominant 98-run victory over Lucknow, reaching the top of the points table. Chasing a daunting target of 236, Lucknow initially showed promise with KL Rahul finding early boundaries.

However, Arshin Kulkarni's early departure and Marcus Stoinis' eventual dismissal hastened Lucknow's collapse. The home side struggled to recover as Kolkata's strong performance outclassed them.

Kolkata's Strong Bowling Secures the Win

Kolkata's commanding win was driven by their strong bowling. Mitchell Starc made an early impact with assistance from Ramandeep Singh's catch. Although Kolkata initially struggled to contain boundaries, Harshit Rana's three crucial wickets shifted the game in their favour.

Contributions from Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine further prevented Lucknow from staging a comeback. Kolkata's cohesive performance secured the significant victory.

Kolkata's Strong Attack

Lucknow's decision to bowl first against Kolkata proved challenging as Phil Salt and Sunil Narine attacked aggressively. Narine's 81 off 39 balls, Angriksh Raghuvanshi's 32 runs, and Ramandeep Singh's late surge took Kolkata to 235 runs. Sunil Narine's sparkling fifty and a collective effort by the bowlers fashioned Kolkata Knight Riders' 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL here on Sunday.

Despite a strong partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, Lucknow struggled under pressure and lost wickets consistently. The collective bowling efforts of Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine thwarted Lucknow's chase.

Facing a daunting target, LSG's batsmen needed to score quickly from the outset. However, they struggled to find the boundary with regularity and were ultimately dismissed for 137 in 16.1 overs. By the 10th over, LSG had lost half their side, including key players like captain KL Rahul (25), Arshdeep Singh (9), Deepak Hooda (5), the dangerous Marcus Stoinis (36), and Nicholas Pooran (10).

Lucknow's Inconsistent Bowling Proves Costly

Lucknow's bowling performance was disappointing, especially in the final overs, where they conceded 35 runs. They struggled from the start, allowing 70 runs in the Powerplay, their worst this season. Although Naveen-ul-Haq initially dismissed Phil Salt, he took a hit early on but recovered, taking three wickets overall.

Yudhvir Singh, replacing Mohsin Khan due to a concussion, struggled with his first delivery, as did Yash Thakur in the final over. Lucknow's inconsistent bowling failed to effectively contain Kolkata's batsmen.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 235 for 6 in 20 overs (Sunil Narine 81; Naveen-Ul-Haq 3/49). LSG 137 all out in 16.1 overs (Marcus Stoinis 36; Harshit Rana 3/24, Varun Chakaravarthy 3/30).