Tata IPL 2024 Match 11, LSG Vs PBKS – Match Report

March 31, 2024

The 2024 edition of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) serves as a stage where talent intersects with opportunity. In a notable match against the Punjab Kings at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, the Lucknow Super Giants discovered a promising young player who showcased immense potential. Making his debut in the Tata IPL, Mayank Yadav delivered fiery pace with the ball, playing a pivotal role in his team’s impressive 21-run triumph on a pitch conducive to batting.

In pursuit of a target of 200 runs, PBKS began their innings strongly with a dynamic partnership from openers Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow. They aggressively scored at a rate exceeding 10 runs per over during the powerplay. Dhawan reached his fifty in the eighth over with a powerful slog-sweep for six off Ravi Bishnoi. By the 11th over, PBKS had surpassed the 100-run mark and appeared poised to accelerate their scoring rate towards the target.

LSG regained control of the match with the introduction of debutant Mayank. In his maiden over, he surprised the batsmen with his pace, occasionally exceeding 150 kmph. He claimed the crucial wicket of Bairstow in his second over, as the right-hander attempted a shot on the leg-side but failed to connect properly. Prabhsimran Singh, brought in as an Impact Player, swiftly made his presence felt with two sixes: one over long-on off Ravi Bishnoi and another over third-man off Mayank, where Mohsin Khan caught the ball but crossed the boundary ropes.

Mayank continued his impressive spell by dismissing Prabhsimran, who aimed for a shot over mid-on but couldn’t generate enough elevation. Dhawan held firm at one end amidst a flurry of wickets falling at the other. Jitesh Sharma began positively, striking a boundary through mid-off off Mohsin’s bowling. However, Mayank struck again when Jitesh attempted a pull shot but ended up top-edging it, with Naveen-ul-Haq taking a catch at mid-wicket. By the end of Mayank’s spell, where he took three wickets for 27 runs, PBKS required 60 runs from the last four overs. Dhawan’s innings ended soon after, scoring 70 runs, as he tried to pull a slower bouncer from Mohsin but only managed to glove it to the wicketkeeper. Curran was dismissed on the first ball, attempting a pull shot off Mohsin’s delivery.

Afterward, PBKS faced a challenging situation, especially with Livingstone grappling with an injury he picked up while fielding. Despite his efforts to continue, Livingstone was unable to avert a victory for LSG.

Earlier in the day, Nicholas Pooran took over the captaincy for LSG in place of KL Rahul during the toss. Rahul, who was returning from an injury, only batted and was then substituted by the Impact Player, Naveen. Pooran mentioned that this decision was made to gradually reintegrate Rahul into the tournament. LSG opted to bat first on a favorable pitch, buoyed by their enthusiastic home supporters.

LSG’s innings was kick-started by Quinton de Kock, who hammered a quick 54 off 38 balls. Rahul also made a solid start but got out while attempting to pierce the gap through point, brilliantly caught by Bairstow. In the sixth over, Devdutt Padikkal created space to play over mid-off but found the fielder instead.

During this time, de Kock continued to bat with determination and maintained a good scoring rate. The innings gained momentum when Nicholas Pooran partnered with de Kock. Their partnership of 47 runs off 27 balls laid a solid foundation for a substantial total. Although de Kock was dismissed in the 14th over, Pooran’s aggressive batting persisted as he scored 42 runs off 21 balls, including three fours and three sixes, until he unfortunately got an inside edge onto the stumps off Kagiso Rabada’s delivery.

During the final overs, Krunal Pandya played an enterprising innings, scoring an unbeaten 43 runs off 22 balls, which significantly contributed to LSG’s total nearing the 200-run mark.

PBKS bowlers maintained a consistent strike rate, taking wickets at regular intervals. However, with Pandya anchoring the innings, LSG seemed poised to surpass the 200-run milestone. It was only due to an impressive last over by Harshal Patel that LSG fell just one run short of reaching 200. Despite the aggressive approach of the batsmen throughout the innings, Sam Curran stood out among the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3/28 in his four overs.

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