On April 22, Lucknow Super Giants lost a game against Gujarat Titans spectacularly at home after blowing what initially looked like an easy win. In a low-scoring contest, LSG was in position to win when Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmed, and Mohammed Shami struck at the very end to shock the opponents and give the reigning champions a narrow 7-run victory.
Saha, the lone bright spot in PP
The two groups needed to bat first on this surface and you could see the reason why straight away. Batting was not a good idea on this pitch. Shubman Gill confused one from the get-go in his innings to leave for a duck and it took Titans 15 balls to bring their most memorable limit. Hardik Pandya advanced himself up the request to emerge at No.3 however couldn't get moving in the powerplay. Wriddhiman Saha provided the crucial push in the powerplay for his team as the pressure mounted, making him the only man fighting for the batting side. Having pulled Avesh Khan over midwicket for a limit, Saha took on Ravi Bishnoi in the last over of the powerplay to strike consecutive limits that took him to 34 off only 24 in the powerplay. There were only six runs from the remaining 12 deliveries.
Did things improve?
Definitely not. Although Hardik defeated Bishnoi for fours and sixes, his brother returned to the attack in the following over to bowl out the well-set Saha. Amit Mishra then, at that point, represented Abhinav Manohar and Naveen-ul-Haq disposed of Vijay Shankar to leave Titans at 92/4 after 15 overs as Hardik'a strike rate kept on excess under 100.
How did they complete?
Runs were basically rare on this surface as Hardik and David Mill operator neglected to track down the limits in the sixteenth and the seventeenth over. Bishnoi by and by opened up the resistance hitters as Hardik at last released himself much to his burrow's enjoyment as he looted 19 runs off the over to get to his fifty too. Naveen then, at that point, conveyed a dynamite penultimate over which was then trailed by Marcus Stoinis eliminating two additional hitters in the last over to hold Titans to 135.
The home team made a very good start in the powerplay despite the fact that KL Rahul played out a maiden to begin the game because they realized how difficult it could be to score runs against the softer ball. LSG aced the powerplay again. Rahul hit a full go-around of limits off Shami in his next finished and afterward joined with Kyle Mayers to pound Rashid Khan for 16 in his first finished. In the powerplay, LSG made 53 and set themselves up to easily chase the target down.
After PP, was there any indication that the tide was turning?
Actually, no. Mayers was eliminated when Rashid returned, but Rahul and Krunal Pandya continued to score points. When Abhinav Manohar gave Krunal a break after the home team had scored 80 runs by halftime, the Titans camp was clearly frustrated. Krunal slammed Rahul Tewatia over the ropes after Rashid successfully negotiated his final over. Following Rahul's fifty, Krunal slammed Rahul Tewatia. LSG were the clear front-runners for two points after 14 overs, with 105 runs scored and only one wicket lost.
The monumental choke With nine wickets remaining, the home team needed 31 runs from 35 deliveries. The Indian Premier League has seen a few epic collapses over the years. However, despite the fact that run scoring became increasingly difficult throughout the game, this could pose a significant challenge for them all. Noor Ahmed had Krunal out befuddled in the fifteenth over and afterward Jayant Yadav followed it up with a tight over to set it up. Noor struck again as Nicholas Pooran neglected to take off and confounded one to withdraw for 1 off 7. In the last three overs, LSG required 23 and were as yet the top choices before Mohit and Shami joined to pull off an outright exhilarating win. Mohit's variations were spot-on, and he gave up just six runs in the 18th over to the LSG batsmen, who were unable to contain him.
Also, the last two overs?
Shami bowled full and fast after Rahul failed to reach the boundary. That staggering penultimate over saw the India pacer yield only five as Mohit now 12 to protect off the last six balls. Following Rahul's risky double off the first ball, absolute chaos ensued. Following two deliveries in which Rahul and Stoinis found the fielders near the boundary, two more batters were struck out. After the game, Rahul said it bluntly: "No one really knew what happened, but it just happened." In the final seven overs, LSG failed to score even one boundary, resulting in an easy two points loss.
What are these two sides' next steps?
Gujarat Titans will take certainty from this game onto their next one against Mumbai Indians at home on Tuesday. Super Monsters then again will take on Punjab Rulers in Mohali. There is a five-day break between them and that game. It seems certain that they require that.
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