Tata IPL 2024 Match 21, LSG Vs GT – Match Report

April 8, 2024

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) clinched a 33-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 fixture held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This triumph marks LSG’s inaugural win against GT in IPL history. Prior to this match, LSG and GT had faced off four times during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with GT securing victories in all previous encounters.

Having GT comfortably placed at 47 for no loss after five overs in their pursuit of 164 runs, LSG faced a challenging situation. The opening duo of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan had navigated the powerplay with assurance. Especially impressive was Sai Sudharsan’s form, quickly reaching 31 runs. Their partnership crossed the 50-run mark, signaling a strong start that seemed to favor GT for another victory against LSG. However, the home team staged a comeback at this crucial juncture.

The turning point occurred when Yash Thakur bowled out Gill during the sixth over. Kane Williamson, replacing Mohit Sharma as an Impact Player, stepped in. LSG’s spinners intensified the pressure on GT, leading to several dot balls. Ravi Bishnoi’s strategic bowling resulted in Williamson playing an uppish shot, which Bishnoi skillfully caught in his follow-through during the eighth over.

In the subsequent over, Krunal Pandya claimed the wicket of Sai Sudharsan, who pulled a delivery to deep square-leg. Shortly after, debutant BR Sharath was caught while attempting a sweep shot towards square-leg. This sequence saw GT’s batting line-up crumble from a solid 54 for no loss to a precarious 61 for four.

Following these events, LSG’s bowlers took control of the game. Pandya’s impressive figures of three for 11 in four overs stood out. However, the real standout for LSG was Thakur. Despite Mayank Yadav leaving the field after bowling just one over, Thakur stepped up to shoulder the additional responsibility as a seamer.

After sending Gill back to the pavilion during the powerplay, Thakur made a significant impact later in the innings to prevent any chance of GT’s recovery. His crucial dismissals of Vijay Shankar and Rashid Khan in the 15th over firmly tilted the game in LSG’s favor. By this stage, Thakur’s figures stood at an impressive three for seven in two overs. Although Rahul Tewatia put up a fight with his 30 off 25 deliveries, he lacked support from the other end as the required run rate continued to climb.

Thakur concluded a fruitful day for LSG by taking the wickets of Tewatia and Noor Ahmad in the 19th over, achieving his first-ever TATA IPL five-wicket haul and securing LSG’s triumph.

By the halfway point of the match, many observers might have considered GT as the frontrunners. Reflecting on their previous encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the identical venue, LSG won the toss and opted to bat first. GT made strategic adjustments with Sharath taking the place of Wriddhiman Saha, while Spencer Johnson replaced Azmatullah Omarzai.

LSG’s innings kicked off energetically as Quinton de Kock launched a six in the opening over off Umesh Yadav, lofting the ball high over fine-leg. However, Umesh quickly retaliated by dismissing de Kock, caught at deep third-man. The challenge intensified for LSG in the third over when Umesh claimed Devdutt Padikkal’s wicket with an outside edge that landed safely in first-slip’s hands. With the score at 18 for two, LSG sought stability in their batting lineup.

KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis collaborated to build a crucial 73-run partnership for LSG. They maintained a steady rotation of strike while occasionally finding boundaries, with Stoinis displaying more aggression between the two. During the middle overs, GT’s spinners effectively controlled the run rate. Noor delivered an economical spell, conceding none for 22 runs in his four overs, while Rashid contributed with figures of one for 28.

Stoinis led the scoring for LSG with 58 runs off 43 balls. As the innings neared its conclusion, LSG received valuable contributions from Nicholas Pooran (32 not out off 22 balls) and Ayush Badoni (20 off 11), boosting their total. Pooran’s three sixes were particularly noteworthy, pushing LSG’s score beyond 160. Ultimately, this proved to be a formidable total for LSG.

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