The Lucknow Super Giants secured their second consecutive victory and climbed to the third position in the standings by defeating the Mumbai Indians in a thrilling TATA IPL 2023 Match 63. The intense match took place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Yash Dayal of Lucknow Super Giants showcased exceptional composure as he delivered accurate yorkers and successfully defended 11 runs in the final over, securing a nail-biting victory for the home team. Captain Krunal Pandya’s composed innings of 49 runs off 42 balls, combined with Marcus Stoinis’ power-packed knock of 89 not out off 47 balls (his highest score in the IPL), propelled Lucknow to a competitive total of 177/3 after a shaky start at 35/3 within the first seven overs. Ravi Bishnoi also played a crucial role with the ball, taking two wickets for 26 runs in his four overs, as the Lucknow Super Giants’ bowlers held their nerve in the slog overs to secure a five-run win.
In pursuit of 178 runs, the Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start. Ishan Kishan quickly found his rhythm, hitting boundaries off Krunal Pandya in the first over and taking on Mohsin Khan with a six and a four in the second over. Kishan struck another four off Naveen-ul-Haq, and then Rohit Sharma showcased his aggression by charging down the track and smashing a 92-meter six over deep mid-wicket to welcome Yash Thakur into the attack.
Rohit continued his onslaught with another six off Naveen, but a brilliant effort from Ravi Bishnoi on the boundary almost dismissed him. Bishnoi caught the ball at deep backward square leg but lost balance and couldn’t throw it back inside the ropes, resulting in a missed opportunity for Lucknow Super Giants. Despite the missed chance, the Mumbai Indians had an excellent Powerplay and reached 58/0.
Rohit and Kishan kept the scoreboard ticking with a combination of singles, twos, and boundaries. However, Ravi Bishnoi provided the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Rohit, caught at long-on, ending the 90-run opening partnership. Kishan reached his fifty off just 34 balls, hitting a four and a six off Krunal Pandya in the process. He continued his aggressive approach by hitting another six and a four in the 11th over to bring up the team’s 100 runs. Bishnoi struck again in the following over, catching Kishan at deep square leg for 59 runs off 39 balls, bringing Lucknow Super Giants back into the match.
Yash Thakur, the Impact Player for Lucknow Super Giants, played a crucial role by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav, who dragged the ball onto his stumps while attempting a scoop shot. With 47 runs needed off 24 balls, Mohsin returned to the attack and took the wicket of Nehal Wadhera, caught at deep square leg, breaking the partnership. Mumbai Indians introduced Vishnu Vinod as their Impact Player, but Lucknow Super Giants managed to restrict the scoring, conceding only 8 runs and taking a wicket in the over. The equation was reduced to 39 runs needed off 18 balls.
Yash Thakur delivered an excellent over, getting Vishnu Vinod caught at deep square leg and conceding just nine runs, tightening the pressure on the Mumbai Indians. In the penultimate over, David hit a massive six and a couple of boundaries, but Lucknow Super Giants’ bowler, Naveen, bounced back and bowled two dot balls, restricting the scoring. However, David finished the over with another six, accumulating 19 runs in total.
With 11 runs required off the final over, Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Krunal Pandya handed the ball to Mohsin. The left-arm pacer showcased nerves of steel, executing perfect yorkers and not allowing David (32 not out off 19 balls) and Cameron Green (4 not out off 6 balls) to score freely. The Mumbai Indians duo managed only five runs as Mohsin bowled a spectacular over, igniting jubilant celebrations in the Lucknow Super Giants’ camp. Mohsin displayed a remarkable comeback after conceding 13 runs in his first over, finishing with figures of 3-0-26-1.
Before the match, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl. They made two changes to their starting XI, with Chris Jordan and Akash Madhwal replacing Vishnu Vinod and Kumar Kartikeya. The Mumbai Indians’ substitutes for the match were Ramandeep Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kartikeya, and Raghav Goel.
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants made five changes to their starting eleven, bringing in Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Swapnil Singh, while Kyle Mayers, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Amit Mishra, and Avesh Khan were replaced. Yash Thakur, K Gowtham, Daniel Sams, Yudhvir Singh, and Kyle Mayers were named as the substitutes for Lucknow Super Giants.
Mumbai Indians started the match well and had an opportunity to take an early wicket when Deepak Hooda mishit a shot off Chris Jordan in the second over. However, Tim David couldn’t hold on to the challenging running catch. Nonetheless, David didn’t miss his chance when Hooda miscued a swing across the line in the following over from Jason Behrendorff, and David calmly pouched the catch at mid-on. Behrendorff claimed two wickets in two balls as he had Prerak Mankad caught behind for a duck.
In the midst of the wickets falling, Quinton de Kock displayed an excellent pick-up shot for a six over deep backward square leg. Captain Krunal Pandya also contributed with a well-timed boundary through extra cover, while De Kock lofted a one-handed six over long-off, propelling Lucknow Super Giants to a score of 35/3.
Piyush Chawla, continuing his impressive form throughout the season, struck immediately with his first ball, dismissing De Kock caught behind with a brilliant googly. Marcus Stoinis broke free from the shackles by charging down the wicket and hitting a six over wide long-on, bringing up Lucknow Super Giants’ 50 runs in the 8th over. He added another maximum in the next over by slog sweeping Chawla over deep mid-wicket. Akash Madhwal bowled a disciplined first over, conceding only five runs as Lucknow Super Giants reached 68/3 at the halfway stage.
Krunal and Stoinis adopted a calculated approach, combining singles, twos, and occasional boundaries. They brought up a 50-run partnership off 34 balls and reached Lucknow Super Giants’ hundred in the 14th over. Stoinis unleashed his power by hitting a six off Cameron Green, but Lucknow Super Giants suffered a setback when Krunal had to retire hurt in the 16th over due to a leg injury