66th match, KKR vs LSG: Lucknow Super Giants won by 2 runs
DY Patil Stadium hosts a high-scoring thriller! The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) qualified for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs after defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 2 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. Quinton de Kock's historic 140* and a record-breaking 210-run opening partnership with skipper KL Rahul enabled LSG win by two runs in a high-scoring thriller. KKR lost Venkatesh Iyer in the first over, bowled by Mohsin Khan, as Quinton de Kock took a brilliant diving catch behind the stumps.
After that, KKR lost rookie Abhijeet Tomar's wicket, when the right-handed batter was caught inside the circle by skipper KL Rahul. With a superb counter-attacking fifty combination, Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer powered KKR's rescue. KKR were 60/2 at the conclusion of six overs after Rana took the aggressive path and smashed nine fours inside the powerplay. After Rana hid in the deep, K Gowtham put an end to the deadly partnership. KKR were 99/3 at the midway stage as Sam Billings joined skipper Shreyas Iyer and was quickly on the move with two fours and a six.
The duo's fifty partnership was up for grabs, and KKR appeared to be in command of the chase. In the 13th over, Mohsin Khan only gave up two runs. After Iyer was caught in the outfield and the KKR skipper was out after making a quick fifty, Marcus Stoinis broke the partnership. Avesh Khan delivered a fantastic over for KKR, allowing only 2 runs in 30 balls. After eliminating explosive batsmen Billings and Russell, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan improved LSG's prospects of winning.
After Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine added two fours and two sixes each in the next two overs, KKR needed 21 runs off the final over. Rinku Singh hit two sixes and a four, but Evin Lewis' amazing catch got him out for 40. With KKR needing three runs off the penultimate delivery, Marcus Stoinis castled Umesh Yadav, and LSG successfully defended the target.
LSG made three changes earlier in the day, opting to bat first. Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, and K Gowtham were named in the eleven. Quinton de Kock was given a reprieve and smashed the first maximum of the innings after LSG got off to a strong start. After skipper KL Rahul smacked a six over deep backward square leg, LSG were 44/0 at the end of the powerplay. After Rahul hit successive sixes against Tim Southee, the openers switched gears, and LSG were 83/0 at the halfway mark.
Quinton de Kock and skipper KL Rahul both struck half-centuries, as the LSG openers continued to hit boundaries at a furious clip. After de Kock clobbered two sixes and a four off Varun Chakaravarthy's bowling in the 16th over, the 150 partnership was over for the first time. With a four, de Kock scored his second IPL century, before unleashing four clean strokes for six against Southee in the penultimate over. After de Kock smashed four fours in a row in the final over, LSG reached 210 without losing a wicket and stitched the season's highest-ever opening partnership.
Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 210/0 (Quinton de Kock 140*, KL Rahul 68*; Sunil Narine 0/27) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 208/8 (Shreyas Iyer 50, Rinku Singh 40; Mohsin Khan 3-20) by 2 runs.
