IPL 2023: Sikandar Raza's brilliance hands PBKS narrow 2-wicket away conquest over LSG, KL Rahul's 74 in vain
IPL 2023: Punjab Kings eeked out a slim two-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants away from home on Saturday, thanks to Sikandar Raza's maiden IPL half-century, while KL Rahul's knock of 74 went in vain.
FollowIt was another tough outing for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 21 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday. LSG skipper-cum-opener KL Rahul's brave knock of 74 was not enough, as PBKS' Sikandar Raza's 57 was more effective.
Winning the coin toss, PBKS opted to bowl, as LSG began on a positive note, with openers Rahul and Kyle Mayers (29) putting on 53 runs before the latter fell to spinner Harpreet Brar in the eighth over. While it was down to 62/2 by the next over, Rahul and Krunal Pandya (18) added 38 for the third wicket before pacer Kagiso Rabada dismissed the latter in the 15th.
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After being 111/4 by the 15th, Rahul and Marcus Stoinis (15) contributed to a 31-run stand for the fifth wicket, as the former also brought up his 32nd IPL half-century. However, the partnership was broken by pacer Sam Curran, with the latter falling in the 18th. Thereon, the LSG batters could hardly make any valuable contributions, finishing on a below-par total of 158/8, with Rahul falling to pacer Arshdeep Singh in the 19th.
For PBKS, Curran captured three, whereas Brar and off-spinner Matthew Short were quite economical. In the 19th, LSG had brought in Krishnappa Gowtham (1) as its Impact Player (IP) for Mayers, while the visitors brought in opener Prabhsimran Singh for leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Meanwhile, PBKS began agitatedly, losing three for 45 by the sixth over of the PowerPlay (PP).
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Then, Harpreet Singh Bhatia (22) and Sikandar Raza (57) added 30 for the fourth wicket before the former was shown the door by spinner Krunal Pandya in the 11th, followed by a 35-run stand between Raza and Curran (6). At the same time, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi sent the latter packing in the 15th.
As PBKS kept losing wickets regularly and was down to 153/8 by the 19th, Raza struck his maiden IPL 50 before falling to Bishnoi in the 18th. With five needed off the final six deliveries, Bishnoi failed to contain it, as Shahrukh Khan (23*) hit the winning runs, guiding the visitors to a two-wicket triumph with three balls to spare. For the hosts, Bishnoi, pacers Mark Wood and Yudhvir Singh Charak caught a couple each, with the former being exceedingly economical.
