Lucknow Super Giants beat Punjab Kings by 20 runs

Super Giants to 153/8. In reply, Kings were limited to 133/8 thanks to Mohsin Khan (3/24), Dushmantha Chameera (2/17) and Krunal Pandya (2/11). Chasing a moderate 154-run target, Kings got off to a decent start with skipper Mayank Agarwal whacking two sixes and two boundaries in his 17-ball 25. However, Chameera put breaks on Kings as Agarwal didn’t get enough elevation and KL Rahul caught him at mid-off. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the stars for Kings in their previous game, were dismissed cheaply for 5 and 9 respectively. Denting the Kings’ chase further, Mohsin removed Liam Livingstone for 18. Chameera returned and got rid of Kings’ last hope Jonny Bairstow (32). The Englishman slashed into the hands of Krunal at deep third man. Mohsin then struck twice to rattle the lower-order. With 31 runs needed off the final over, Rishi Dhawan (21 not out) dispatched the first one for a maximum and followed it with a boundary off the bowling of Avesh Khan. The Super Giants pacer then bowled a dot ball to secure the match for his team and delivered three more dots to take his side home. Earlier in the day, Super Giants lost their skipper Rahul, the centurion from his last outing, early on after being put in to bat. On a Rabada ball, Rahul (6) tried to defend with an open-faced bat and was caught by wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma. Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda got into the rebuilding act, stitching 85 runs together for the second wicket. Kings got the much-needed breakthrough in the 13th over as de Kock (46) walked despite the appeal being turned down by the on-field umpire. The South African tried to cut it off the backfoot behind point off the bowling of Sandeep Sharma but got a feather on it. Hooda (34), too, returned to the dugout in the next over as he fell short to Bairstow’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end. After the de Kock-Hooda show, wickets started tumbling for Super Giants, with Rabada and Rahul Chahar striking for the Kings. Towards the end, Chameera (17) and Mohsin (13 not out) tried to chip in but Kings’ bowlers ensured to keep Super Giants in check. (UNI)