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The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) succumbed to a heavy 98-run defeat at the hands of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday, May 5. It was a massive blow to their playoff hopes, with the race to the top four getting intense with each passing day.
The home side were belted right from the first ball of the match, with their bowlers taken to the cleaners after KL Rahul opted to bowl first. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt provided another excellent opening partnership, adding 61 runs in just 4.2 overs.
Narine (81 off 39 balls) stitched together another important partnership with Angrish Raghuvanshi before Ramandeep Singh's late flourish (25* off six) propelled KKR to 235/6 in their 20 overs.
The Super Giants were nowhere in the run chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Rahul struggled to keep up with the asking rate, managing only 25 off 21 balls. Marcus Stoinis tried to take on the KKR bowlers but lacked support from the other end. LSG were eventually bundled out for 137 runs, with Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy picking up three wickets apiece.
The 98-run defeat pushed out Lucknow from the top four as their NRR took a heavy toll. Rahul and company are currently placed fifth in the table with 12 points from 11 games and have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.371.
LSG have three league games remaining in IPL 2024. If Lucknow manage to win all three matches, they will end up with 18 points and will almost seal their playoff berth.
However, if the Super Giants win two out of three games, they will finish with 16 points. In that case, they will have to depend on the results of the Chennai Super Kings, the SunRisers Hyderabad, and the Delhi Capitals, who also have a good chance of ending with 16 points after the league phase.
Overall, LSG still have a very good chance of making it to the playoffs for the third consecutive time despite their heavy defeat to the Knight Riders.
LSG's remaining matches in IPL 2024
After a heavy defeat at home, the Lucknow Super Giants will travel to Hyderabad to take on the SunRisers Hyderabad on May 8. This will be a crucial game for both teams as a win for either of them will take them close to the playoffs.
KL Rahul and company will then travel to the Wankhede Stadium on May 14 to play the Mumbai Indians (MI) before visiting the capital where they will face the Delhi Capitals on May 17.
May 8: Hyderabad vs Lucknow (7:30 pm IST)
May 14: Mumbai vs Lucknow (7:30 pm IST)
May 17: Delhi vs Lucknow (7:30 pm IST)
