Stoinis stars with bat (62) & ball (1-19) for LSG win! © iplt20.com
The 48th match of IPL 2024 was a night for all-round brilliance, with Lucknow Super Giants emerging victorious over Mumbai Indians by a narrow margin of 4 wickets. LSG skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to bowl first, which seemed vindicated early on as Mumbai’s batting lineup faltered.
Mumbai Indians struggle in the powerplay. The usually explosive top order, featuring the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, was subdued by some excellent swing bowling from the young Mohsin Khan. The lack of boundaries – only three in the powerplay, the lowest of the season for MI – put them on the back foot from the beginning. The dismissal of Rohit Sharma, spooning a seemingly hittable delivery straight to short cover on his birthday, epitomized their early woes.
While Nehal Wadhera (46) tried to hold the innings together with a gritty knock, wickets kept falling regularly. The MI middle order, featuring the in-form Suryakumar Yadav and the experienced Hardik Pandya, succumbed to tight bowling and smart captaincy from KL Rahul. Credit must also go to the wily spin of Ravi Bishnoi, who choked the flow of runs in the middle overs and picked up a crucial wicket with a well-disguised googly.
LSG’s chase mirrored MI’s struggles to an extent. They too lost early wickets, including the returning Mayank Yadav who unfortunately departed soon after his comeback from injury. However, the resilience shown by Marcus Stoinis at the crease provided much-needed stability. Stoinis, known for his all-around abilities, played a mature innings, anchoring the chase initially and then accelerating later when required.
His knock of 62 runs was a masterclass in calculated aggression. He weathered the early storm of swing bowling and then took full advantage of the more benign conditions later in the innings. His dismantling of the spin attack was particularly impressive, taking both Piyush Chawla and Mohammad Nabi for a combined 29 runs in just 16 balls. This display of power-hitting effectively sealed the win for LSG.
While Stoinis’ batting heroics stole the show, his contribution to the ball shouldn’t be overlooked. He bowled a tight spell with his medium pace, picking up a crucial wicket and conceding only 19 runs in his 3 overs. This all-round performance from Stoinis was a major factor in LSG’s triumph, earning him a well-deserved Player of the Match award.
This loss exposes Mumbai Indians’ ongoing batting woes. Their overreliance on a few key players and the inconsistency of the middle order continues to be a cause for concern. While bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult remain world-class, they need more support from the batters to climb the points table.
LSG, on the other hand, can take heart from this victory. They have shown the depth in their squad, with players like Stoinis and Mohsin Khan stepping up when needed. This win propels them to the third position in the points table, and they will be looking to maintain this momentum in the remaining matches
Match Summary
Mumbai Indians 144/7 (20) | |
| Nehal Wadhera 46 (41) | Mohsin Khan |
| Tim David 35* (18) | Naveen-ul-Haq |
| Ishan Kishan 32 (36) | Marcus Stoinis |
Lucknow Super Giants 145/6 (19.2) | |
| Marcus Stoinis 62 (45) | Hardik Pandya |
| KL Rahul 28 (22) | Mohammad Nabi |
| Deepak Hooda 18 (18) | Gerald Coetzee |
Toss: LSG won the toss and decided to bowl
Stadium: Ekana Sports City, Lucknow
Result: LSG won by 4 wickets and 4 balls left
Player of the Match: Marcus Stoinis (LSG) – 1/19 (3) & 62 (45)
