Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024: Rahul-Nicholas Pooran powerlift Lucknow Super Giants to 214 vs Mumbai Indians

Mumbai: Nicholas Pooran hammered an audacious sensational 29-ball 75 while skipper K.L Rahul scored a trademark patient half-century as Lucknow Super Giants posted 214/6 in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians in Match 67 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.

Coming in with his team crawling at 69/3 at the halfway mark, Pooran blasted five boundaries and eight maximums, making him the player to hit the maximum number of sixes for LSG, as he and Rahul cobbled together a superb partnership in which the West Indies batter did most of the scoring.

Pooran raced to his fifty off 19 balls and raised a 100-run partnership off 40-odd deliveries to set up LSG on course for a total past 200. Nuwan Thushara and Piyush Chawla claimed three wickets each -- picking three wickets without the addition of a run in the death overs to pull things back for the inexperienced Mumbai Indians bowling unit in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah after skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants got off to a poor start losing Devcutt Padikkal, who came in for Quinton de Kock and opened the innings for the first time this season, was trapped lbw by Nuwan Thushara off the third ball of the opening over, in which he bowled two wides. Padikkal left for a zero, exhausting one DRS review in the process.

Skipper K.L Rahul and Marcus Stoinis propelled the score to 49, with the overseas player hitting five boundaries as he scored 28 off 22 balls before he was sent back by Piyush Chawla, LSG down to 49/2 in the sixth over.

LSG were 69/3 at the halfway stage. But Nicholas Pooran, who stepped into the field, changed the complexion of the game with a stunning assault on the Mumbai Indians bowling, hammering five sixes in his first 35 runs.

Meanwhile, K.L Rahul, who was soldiering on from the other end, completed his half-century off 37 balls, hitting two boundaries and three maximums as he and Pooran raised 109 runs for the fourth wicket off 44 balls, with Pooran doing the bulk of the scoring. Rahul kept one end intact as he has done throughout the season, building up the platform for Pooran to launch his audacious attack.

Ayush Badoni blasted 22 off 10 balls and Krunal Pandya struck 12 off 7 as Lucknow Super Giants struck 36 runs off the last 17 balls to take their score past the 200-run mark. Badoni struck two sixes and a four in the last two overs as LSG set Mumbai Indians a challenging target.

In reply, Mumbai Indians were 33 for no loss in 3.5 overs when rain stopped play. The game resumed after more than 45 minutes gape. The opening duo added 88 runs in 8.3 overs before Dewaid Brevis’ (23) dismissal.

The hosts managed 115 runs in 13 overs losing 3 wickets. Rohit Sharma scored 68 runs from 38 balls. Agencies

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