Lucknow Super Giants capped off their group stage campaign with a win over the struggling Mumbai Indians, whose frustrating season in the Indian Premier League ended with only four wins in 14 matches. Chasing a 215-run target, MI were restricted to 196/6 in their 20 overs as LSG ended with 14 points to their name. Super Giants’ chances for a playoff qualification, however, are next to nil as their net run rate is far behind both, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, who clash on Saturday for a virtual knockout match.
Opting to bowl, Mumbai Indians had made a strong start as they restricted the Super Giants to 49 in the powerplay, taking two crucial wickets of Devdutt Padikkal and Marcus Stoinis. However, Nicholas Pooran (75 off 29 deliveries) blew the MI bowling attack away, and KL Rahul (55 off 41) played a controlled knock to steer the LSG out of trouble. Ayushi Badoni (22*) and Krunal Pandya (12*) provided the late bloom as LSG ended on a strong 214/6 in 20 overs.
In the run-chase, former MI skipper Rohit Sharma (68) made a timely return to run-scoring, notching his first half-century of the season. His departure in the 11th over, however, triggered a series of wickets with Suryakumar Yadav (0), captain Hardik Pandya (16) and Ishan Kishan (14) failing to step up. Even as Naman Dhir ignited MI’s hopes for an unlikely comeback with his quickfire fifty, the side fell short by 18 runs.
MI, with 8 points, finish at the bottom of the points table for the second time in three years, while LSG are now sixth. A win for RCB, however, will push the Super Giants back to the seventh spot in the points table.
Purple Cap after MI vs LSG
There was no change in the top-five in the Purple Cap list after LSG’s win over MI, with Jasprit Bumrah – the second-highest wicket-taker in the season – being rested from the game as the T20 World Cup nears. Piyush Chawla, the veteran leg-spinner, climbed to the 19th spot in the only change in the top-20 after the match, as he picked three wickets against LSG. Chawla finished with 13 wickets to his name in the season. Harshal Patel, meanwhile, remains at the top with 22 wickets in the season, while KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy (18) is third.
