LSG vs CSK

11:36 PM local time and IST: We still don't have a clear-cut idea of who are going through to the playoffs! The bandwagon goes back to the City of Joy now, as Kolkata Knight Riders host Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens tomorrow, from 7:30 PM local time. If GT win, they become the first team, in all likelihood, to make the playoffs. But, if KKR win, they not only stay alive, but also keep the tournament highly interesting! For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto, taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Mitchell Marsh (Player of the Match, 90 off only 38 deliveries): "Obviously nice to get a win! Been few and far between for us, but, great to get this win. We have great people in this group, some great young kids. We haven't had the best of times of course, but, this win feels good. Josh (Inglis) and I go a long way, and it's always great batting with him. Playing on these red-soil wickets, we knew that the first few overs need to be handled carefully. After that, we can go hard, very much like in Perth! I like fielding, even with Josh Inglis becoming the new person to be subbed out!" 

Rishabh Pant [Lucknow Super Giants captain]: "It feels good! Getting a win, definitely feels good! We take a lot of pride in wins. Akash Singh has been working hard. He sticks to the plan more often than not. Getting two overseas players to open the innings is helpful, and getting Nicholas Pooran to bat at no. 3, but, we are disappointed that we could not do more with what we had! But I'm going to say again, the team we have, is amazing! The reason I didn't go out to bat was to give some other guys a hit. You need to respect certain decisions from the management!" 

Josh Inglis [Lucknow Super Giants]: [On LSG’s approach towards the end of the league stage]“We spoke before the game about how important it was to keep treating every match as a must-win and continue putting pressure on the opposition. Even though we may not be in the position we originally wanted at this stage of the tournament, putting in a strong performance tonight was really important for the group.”[On batting alongside Mitchell Marsh]“Mitch’s start made a huge difference. The first few overs were challenging because there was steep bounce and good pace from the fast bowlers, so my focus was simply on staying calm and rotating strike. Mitch took the pressure away with the way he attacked and gave us a fantastic platform.”[On handling the conditions and bowling attack]“The conditions were still demanding throughout the innings. Some bowlers felt a little easier to score off, while against someone like Noor Ahmad, we knew we didn’t need to take unnecessary risks because we were already ahead of the required rate. It was more about understanding which bowlers to target and which phases to manage smartly.”[On the nature of the Ekana pitch]“It actually felt like a Perth wicket at times — there was good bounce and pace in the surface. Even though I didn’t feel completely fluent personally, the wicket itself remained pretty good for batting once you adjusted.”[On facing Mitchell Marsh at the non-striker’s end]“I’ve learned my lesson from before because Mitch hits the ball incredibly hard. I was definitely making sure I stayed well inside my crease at the non-striker’s end.”[On the forearm blow during the innings]“It’s all good now, nothing serious.”

Ruturaj Gaikwad [Chennai Super Kings captain]: [On the Ekana surface and CSK’s total]“I felt there was definitely something in the pitch for the fast bowlers, especially when they hit hard lengths consistently. Their bowlers executed those areas really well and made scoring difficult for us. At one stage, we were probably looking at around 160 or 170, so getting to 180 still felt like a decent effort from the batting group. Credit to their batters as well because they played some exceptional shots during the chase.”[On bowling plans against LSG’s openers]“We tried to attack with hard lengths because we felt there was assistance on offer from the surface. Mitchell Marsh is someone who handles the short ball really well, so the plan was more about hitting those test-match lengths and forcing mistakes. There were moments where we executed well, but they also played some outstanding cricket, especially through the opening partnership.”[On positives despite the defeat]“Sometimes you have to accept that the opposition simply played better cricket on the day. But there were still positives for us. A young player like Karthik stepping up and playing an innings like that was really encouraging. The middle order was an area we wanted more from earlier in the season, and now we’re starting to see players contribute with confidence.”[On CSK’s approach for the remaining games]“The equation for us is very simple from here — we need to win every game we play. There’s nothing complicated about it. We just need to recover well, assess conditions quickly in the next matches, and make sure we execute better. I’m still confident about the team because both the batting and bowling groups are beginning to click together at the right time.”

11:13 PM local time and IST: Lucknow Super Giants win by 7 wickets with 20 balls to spare! 

Mitchell Marsh 90 (38) | Akash Singh - 3/26 (4)
Kartik Sharma 71 (42) | Mukesh Choudhary - 1/24 (3)

There was a bit of a stutter with three wickets falling in quick succession, but otherwise, thanks to some magnificent ball-striking, first from Mitchell Marsh and then, Nicholas Pooran, Lucknow Super Giants make a mockery of the 1st innings total! 

Yes there was dew in the 2nd innings, but the batting was simply superlative! And the bowling too, from Chennai Super Kings, was average at best, on the whole. 

Credit needs to be given to Josh Inglis as well, as he hung around for a 135-run opening partnership off only 70 balls with Marsh, and then, to Mukul Choudhary, who played his part in that 20-ball 44-run 4th wicket stand, to see his side cross the finish line! 

Spencer Johnson was the pick of the bowlers for CSK, bowling at pace and hitting the good length hard. He also got his first wicket for his new franchise, and gave a case for his continuous selection, to the team management! 

Mukesh Choudhary and Noor Ahmad were decent, even though they took only one wicket between them. However, CSK's highest wicket-taker, Anshul Kamboj, went for as many as 63 runs in 16 balls, with no wicket to his name! Twice, he got taken for four sixes in a row.

The decision to pick Gurjapneet Singh as the Impact Sub and not Akeal Hosein, didn't quite work for Ruturaj Gaikwad and his team. 

So, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders breathe! A couple of them, may as well breathe easy! LSG have just handed them a lifeline when it comes to playoffs qualification, by thrashing CSK tonight. 

16.4 Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! FOUR IN A ROW! GAME, SET AND MATCH! It's all over as LSG thump CSK. This loss puts a dent into the CSK's probability of qualifying to the playoffs. What a finish this from Pooran, start off slow, but then finished in a real hurry with plenty of overs to spare. Length delivery on the middle and leg, whacked it over deep mid-wicket for another maximum to seal the game. Plenty of problems now for CSK.

16.3 Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! THREE IN A ROW! Sumptuous hit from Pooran, he's doing it in canter for LSG now. Length delivery on the off-stump, Pooran pumped it straight down the ground and into the sight screen for another maximum.

16.2 Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, DROPPED AND SIX MORE! Pooran has hit that one high, Kartik completely misjudges it at deep mid-wicket. Was inches behind the ropes, then goes through his hands and over the ropes for a maximum. Length delivery on the stumps, Pooran has launched that one into the orbit and gets a reprieve.

16.1 Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! BOOM! Pooran has arrived finally tonight, what a shot! Not the night that Kamboj would want to remember. Back of a length on the off-stump, clears his front foot and smokes it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.