Kartik Sharma stood up under pressure and shone under the lights in Lucknow. CSK were in trouble early on, but Kartik Sharma’s 71 helped CSK recover and post 187/5 with Shivam Dube providing the finishing kick towards the end while the others chipped in here and there. Akash Singh was the star for LSG with figures of 3/26 in 4 overs. Mayank Yadav bowled well as well despite being wicketless. The game is in the balance at this stage.
Akash Singh strikes twice to remove CSK openers and rock them inside the power play.Â
Put into bat first, keeper batter Sanju Samson and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad came out to bat for CSK while Mohammed Shami had the ball in hand for LSG. Samson took on Shami as he made room and went over short extra cover for a boundary. Samson went again as he made room on the leg side and got it between cover and point for a boundary. He got a streaky boundary away as he threw his hands at that and got an inside edge past the stumps and away for a boundary to fine leg.
Akash Singh came onto the attack next. Ruturaj Gaikwad took on the short ball and was late to it as he got the top edge towards the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Shami continued and bowled a decent over. Akash continued, and Samson played and missed to the keeper while going for the pull shot. Pant went for the DRS and burnt a review early in the piece. Gaikwad freed his arms and lofted it over extra cover for a boundary.
Akash broke through for CSK as he removed Gaikwad for 13 off 9 balls with 2 fours to his name as the mistimed pull shot went to mid-on, where Nicholas Pooran took the catch. Urvil Patel came out to bat next. Prince Yadav came into the attack for the first time this evening. Prince bowled a tidy first over. Akash continued to bowl the last over of power play. Akash then got the big fish Sanju Samson for 20 off 20 balls with 3 fours to his name as the back of the length delivery from the bowler, where Samson looked to whip it away and picked out Mukul Choudhary in the deep.
Kartik Sharma came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. At the end of the power play, CSK were rocked as they were 37/2 in 6 overs of power play with Urvil Patel unbeaten on 2 off 5 balls and Kartik Sharma unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls. CSK has work to do now in this must-win clash for them.
Kartik Sharma’s half-century leads CSK’s fight back in the middle overs despite losing a couple of wickets in this phase.Â
Mayank Yadav came into the attack post the power play and started with a wide. Kartik took on the aerial route and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Urvil then got into the act as he flicked it away past midwicket for a boundary as the 50 came up for CSK in 7 overs. Akash Singh continued, and he removed Urvil Patel with the shot ball as he was holed out at deep backward square leg. Dewald Brevis came out to bat next.
Brevis got off the mark with a fierce cut over backward point for the maximum. Akash then finished his spell with a magical spell. Spin was introduced into the attack as Shahbaz Ahmed came into the attack. Kartik took on Shahbaz as he sat deep in the crease and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. CSK were 69/3 in 9 overs when we paused for the Strategic Time Out, the first of the innings.
Mayank Yadav came back into the attack next. He bowled a brilliant 10th over as CSK reached 71/3 in 10 overs. Shahbaz continued as Kartik was on a different level, as he slapped it over covers for a boundary. Dewald Brevis took on the spinner and went downtown with a no-look maximum straight as an arrow. Mayank continued as Kartik backed away and cut it hard past the backward point for a boundary.
Prince Yadav came back into the attack next. Kartik took on Prince Yadav as he went deep in the crease and pulled it in front of square for the maximum. The 100 came up for CSK in 12.4 overs. Kartik went big again off Prince as he got inside the line and pulled it behind square for the maximum over long leg. Shahbaz changed ends and bowled a decent 14th over.
Mohammed Shami came back into the attack next. Kartik took on the veteran bowler and clubbed it high and handsome over wide long-off for the maximum. Kartik gets to his fifty in 35 balls, his second in IPL. Shami hit back and got rid of Brevis for 25 off 16 balls with 2 sixes to his name as he tried to take on the pull shot and got a top edge that went straight up in the air, and the catch was taken by Akash Singh at the fine leg region. The Strategic Time Out was taken at this stage, the second of the innings.
Shivam Dube came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Kartik was back on strike as he rode the bounce and cut it away over backward point for a boundary. CSK reached 127/4 in 15 overs with Kartik Sharma unbeaten on 57 off 37 balls alongside Dube unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. The game was back in the balance now, with big 5 overs coming up for both sides.
Kartik Sharma falls, but late overs hitting from Shivam Dube takes CSK to a competitive 187/5 in 20 overs.Â
Shahbaz Ahmed continued, and Kartik took on Shahbaz Ahmed as he got down on one knee and nailed the slog sweep that sailed over deep midwicket for the maximum. Kartik then got a short ball and pulled it away behind square for a boundary. Kartik went big again as he rocked back and pulled it away past deep midwicket for a boundary. Shahbaz had the last laugh as he removed Kartik Sharma, who holed out at long-on as Markram took the catch. Kartik fell for 71 off 42 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Prashant Veer came out to bat next.
Prince Yadav came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Mayank Yadav came back into the attack. He too bowled a tight over as LSG pulled things back somewhat. Mohammed Shami came back to bowl the 19th over. He was welcomed back by Prashant Veer as he shuffled across, and he got low and scooped it over short fine leg for a boundary. Shivam Dube got into the act as Dube pulled it away in front of square for a boundary to deep midwicket.
LSG was penalised for a slow over rate as Prince Yadav came to bowl the final over of the innings. Dube took on Prince as he backed away for room and stayed deep in his crease and flicked it away over deep forward square leg for the maximum. Shivam Dube then threw his hands at it and sliced it away over a deep backward point for a boundary. Dube again hammered the ball down the ground for a boundary back past the bowler. He finished things off in style as he stayed deep in the crease and pulled it away over deep square leg for the maximum.
23 runs off the final over as CSK managed to post 187/5 in 20 overs. Shivam Dube was unbeaten on 32 off 16 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name, while Prashant Veer was unbeaten on 13 off 10 balls with one four to his name. 7 extras in the form of wides given by the bowling side.
Akash Singh was the pick of the bowlers for LSG as he finished with 3/26 in 4 overs. Mohammed Shami finished with 1/41 in 4 overs. Shahbaz Ahmed finished with 1/45 in 4 overs. Prince Yadav finished with 0/49 in 4 overs. Mayank Yadav finished with 0/26 in 4 overs. This meant that LSG now needs 188 to win and spoil CSK’s party.
Who’s Winning, LSG or CSK?Â
CSK has done well to get to 187 on the board in this must-win clash. Saying so, this pitch looks a better pitch to bat on, and the pitch will get better. Dew could be a factor as well. So, LSG has a great chance to win this game. CSK needs to bowl well without Jamie Overton to win the clash. A must-win clash for CSK. LSG has nothing to lose. We are in for an exciting chase from here. Big 20 overs are ahead of us.
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