Lucknow Super Giants’ already slender hopes of reaching the playoffs ended after a crushing six-wicket defeat against already eliminated Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.
LSG became the fifth team to be eliminated as SRH chased down the 206-run target with 10 balls to spare.
Here are the five points that ended LSG’s playoffs hopes:
LSG’s strong start:
Put into bat by SRH, LSG got off to a fine start with their openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram hitting half-centuries. Marsh reached his fifty off 28 balls in the eighth over while Markram reached his fifty of the season also off 28 balls.
Marsh smashed 4 sixes and 6 fours in his 30-ball 65 while Markram hit 4 sixes and 4 fours in his 38-ball 61. The Aussie and the Protea put up a fiery 115-run stand in just 10.2 overs.
Yet another failure for Rishabh Pant:
It won’t be an understatement to say that LSG captain Rishabh Pant has been the biggest disappointment of this IPL season.
Pant’s horrid run with the bat continued against SRH as Eshan Malinga took a fine return catch to dismiss the LSG skipper for 7 runs.
Nicholas Pooran’s superb form:
Nicholas Pooran has been in such superb form for LSG this season that there were talks to make him the captain replacing Pant.
The West Indian continued his form with the bat hitting a six and 6 fours in his 26-ball 45. This was the first instance that three overseas batters (Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran) have scored more than 400 runs in a season for a team in the IPL as Pooran’s late assault took LSG to 205/7.
Abhishek Sharma’s blitzkrieg knock:
Abhishek Sharma gave SRH a flying start by smashing a 18-ball half-century belting Ravi Bishnoi for 4 consecutive sixes. This was the fourth instance that Abhishek had reached an IPL fifty in less than 20 balls.
But Abhishek was dismissed in the very next over of reaching his fifty by Digvesh Rathi who not only made his customary signature gesture but also gave the opener a send-off by signalling him to go the dugout.
This infuriated Abhishek who came back to have a few words with Rathi who himself was not holding back and in the end both the players had to be separated by the umpires and the players.
Heinrich Klaasen’s finishing act:
Heinrich Klaasen finished off what Abhishek Sharma had started. The South African started slowly but changed gears effortlessly and slammed 4 fours and a six in his 28-ball 47 before falling in the 18th over with SRH on the verge of victory.
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