Lucknow Super Giants outscored Gujarat Titans to jolt their charge for a top-two finish, defeating the home side by 33 runs and leaving them stranded on 18 points with one game in hand.
Out of the competition, the visitors came out with all the fireworks in their arsenal. Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram gave GT a taste of their own medicine. The duo went ballistic with their shot selection, scoring runs at will.
LSG’s opening pair stitched together a 91-run partnership from 59 balls before Markram holed out to long-off after contributing 36 off 24 deliveries. The arrival of Nicholas Pooran didn’t slow down the run rate.
LSG continued scoring at nearly 15 runs per over, as Marsh brought up his maiden IPL hundred off just 56 balls — a phenomenal display of power hitting from the Australian, who remained composed throughout his innings. Pooran, on the other hand, maintained a strike rate of over 200, racing to his half-century in just 23 balls.
The 121-run partnership came to an end when Marsh miscued one to third man, right after hammering Prasidh Krishna in the previous over. LSG finished on a commanding 235 for 2, with a cameo from Rishabh Pant adding the finishing touches.
GT’s openers came out firing, scoring at nearly 10 runs per over in the Powerplay. However, Sai Sudharsan gave away his wicket with a soft dismissal. Shubman Gill kept the momentum going alongside Jos Buttler, with both batters striking at a rate north of 175. Yet, despite the promising start, neither could convert their innings into a match-winning contribution.
In the absence of their star spinner, Digvesh Rathi, LSG managed to keep things in check by picking up wickets at regular intervals. Still, Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford stitched together an 86-run stand to take GT closer to the target. Following Rutherford’s dismissal, GT’s batting order began to crumble, despite Shahrukh’s efforts at the other end. He struck a valiant 57 off 29 balls, but it was too late in what had become a lost cause. The lower middle order failed to offer resistance, collapsing under scoreboard pressure.
GT remain on 18 points, opening a window for PBKS and RCB to sneak ahead of them on the points table.
