Lucknow chase down 210 in dramatic last-over finish

The Lucknow Super Giants completed the fourth-largest run-chase in IPL history on a batting paradise at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai as KL Rahul’s side mowed down the 210-run target in 19.3 overs. Sublime knocks from Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube went in vain for CSK as KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, and Evin Lewis pulled off a stunning chase to give Lucknow their first victory in the Indian Premier League.

Knowing that defending a total would be incredibly difficult on a flat Brabourne wicket with a wet ball, Chennai went hard from the word go as Robin Uthappa creamed Avesh Khan for two boundaries off the first two balls of the match before playing some vintage strokes against Dushmantha Chameera. An excellent direct hit from Ravi Bishnoi helped Lucknow remove Ruturaj Gaikwad early on, but his dismissal didn’t stop the bleeding as Uthappa creamed four fours in one Andrew Tye over while Moeen Ali went 4,6,4 against left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya.

CSK managed an astonishing 73 runs in the powerplay thanks to Uthappa’s heroics and it took another piece of Ravi Bishnoi brilliance for Lucknow to get some respite as the leg-spinner trapped the opener lbw on 50. CSK promoted Shivam Dube to number four to counter the spinners through the middle, and the left-hander played an excellent knock off 49 from 30 deliveries to maintain the strong scoring rate. Chennai’s deep batting line-up was one of their primary strengths last season, and that depth came to the fore once again in this innings as MS Dhoni (16 off 6), Ravindra Jadeja (17 off 9) and Ambati Rayudu (27 off 20) all made valuable contributions to propel the reigning champions to a formidable total of 210.

Chasing a target of over 200, Lucknow were in desperate need of a strong start in the powerplay, and their openers Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul answered the call, putting on a 99-run partnership. The two veteran openers pounced on the inexperienced duo of Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary to score 55 runs in the first six. This assault continued upon the introduction of the spinners, as Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja conceded 35 runs in the three overs after the powerplay.

With the spinners leaking runs, CSK were forced to turn to Dwaine Pretorius, and the South African provided the much-needed breakthroughs as he dismissed both openers. With de Kock and Rahul both in the pavilion, Lucknow’s hopes of a victory rested on the shoulders of Evin Lewis, and the West Indian kept the Super Giants in the hunt with some fantastic ball-striking. The left-hander shared a 32-run partnership off 16 balls with Deepak Hooda before providing the perfect finishing touch alongside Ayush Badoni at the death. Needing 34 off the final 12 balls, the pair they creamed 25 runs off Shivam Dube’s penultimate over and eventually saw the Super Giants home in style with three balls to spare.