Marcus Stoinis led the way as Lucknow Super Giants posted the highest team score for a decade in the IPL in a resounding victory over Punjab Kings.
Lucknow amassed 257-5 – a total that has been bettered only once in the competition, when Royal Challengers Bangalore totted up 263-5 against Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013, thanks to a record 175no from Chris Gayle that contained 17 sixes.
Ten years and five days on from that mighty effort from RCB and Gayle, Lucknow made sure their own impressive efforts did not go to waste as they bowled out Punjab for 201 to seal a 56-run win.
Stoinis clattered five sixes in his 72 from 40 balls, with Kyle Mayers (54), Ayush Badoni (43) and Nicholas Pooran (45) also scoring at a impressively rapid lick.
It was then Stoinis the bowler who removed Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan in the first over of the reply, having him caught just inside the ropes.
The home side had no option but to go flat out for fast runs, but they lost Dhawan's fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh in the fourth over too.
Stoinis hurt his left index finger while fielding his own bowling and was taken out of the attack, saying after the match ended: "It's all right; it's been better. It is what it is and we'll get it scanned later."
Atharva Taide and Sikandar Raza looked to up the tempo of the Punjab reply, but the required run rate was up to around 17 an over by the midway point of the innings, the contest already all but over.
Raza fell for 36 from 22 balls, and Taide went for 66 from 36 when a top edge allowed Ravi Bishnoi to take an awkward return catch.
Yash Thakur removed Raza and then snatched three lower-order wickets as the batting became haphazard, finishing with figures of 4-37, while Naveen-ul-Haq weighed in with 3-30.
Bittersweet day for super Stoinis
His form has been patchy in this IPL campaign, but this game saw Stoinis make his mark, so it was cruel he should also suffer an injury blow. In seven previous innings this season, he had passed 21 runs only once, making 65 against RCB, and once he got going again the Punjab crowd witnessed another fine performance.
Stoinis appeared for the post-match presentation with his sore fingered bandaged, but he spoke with satisfaction about his batting effort, saying Lucknow had been determined to "cash in and take advantage of this beautiful batting wicket, so it was good fun".
Runs galore
This game's total of 458 runs made it the match with the third-highest combined tally in IPL history. It has been beaten only by the 469 runs produced by Chennai Super Kings versus Rajasthan Royals in April 2019, and the 459 between Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders in May 2018.
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
IPL: Jadeja stars as CSK move into playoff places
Chennai Super Kings moved into the Indian Premier League playoff places after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala.
The reigning champions avenged their seven-wicket defeat by the Kings in Chennai four days earlier to climb to third place in the table with three games remaining.
After a slow start, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell's partnership brought 57 runs and settled CSK into their stride. Although MS Dhoni went for a duck, Ravindra Jadeja's late surge of 43 from 26 balls saw them close at 167-9.
Tushar Deshpande claimed Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the second over to stem the Kings' early momentum, while Jadeja (3-20) also took a quickfire double of Sam Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the 13th over as the hosts finished well short of their target at 139-9.
Data debrief
In getting back to winning ways, CSK ended their five-game losing streak against the Kings, stretching back to 2021.
Despite going for a duck, Dhoni managed to make amends in the field. When he caught out Jitesh Sharma, he became the first player in IPL history to take 150 catches.
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