59th Match

Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK captain: We came up with a plan, we did try to hit hard lengths. They played some extaordinary shots. I think there was still something there in the hard lengths, but their openers played really well. You just have to accept it sometimes, last time too they started well. Kartik played really well and I'm confident that we will click in the final two games. First challenge is to get to Chennai and then think of what to improve, try and assess the conditions. It is simple and quite easy from here. We have win both.

23:14 Local Time, 17:44 GMT: A thumping win and a clinical chase from Lucknow Super Giants. They may finally have found their ideal opening combination. After trying multiple partners alongside Mitchell Marsh at the top this season, it now looks like Josh Inglis could be the perfect fit. Inglis played more of a supporting role in the mammoth 135-run opening stand, but his presence allowed Marsh to completely dominate proceedings. This chase was all about Marsh. He tore into the bowling right from the powerplay, especially targeting Anshul Kamboj, whom he smashed for 28 runs in a single over. LSG raced to 86 in the powerplay and from that point onward, the game was firmly under their control. Marsh kept finding boundaries with ease and stormed to a breathtaking 38-ball 90. To Chennai Super Kings’ credit, they did fight back briefly with 3 wickets for 9 runs, including both openers. But Pooran, who had looked scratchy initially, finished things off in brutal fashion with four consecutive sixes. At the halfway stage, 187 felt around par on this pitch. But the way Lucknow batted made it look nowhere near enough as they completed the chase with 20 balls to spare.

Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX, Pooran finishes with 6, 6, 6, 6! He has made short work of those 24 runs. Just taken him 4 balls after the timeout to finish the game. Anshul Kamboj would want to forget this outing as soon as possible. He has gone for 63 runs in 2.4 overs. This is the attempted yorker but Kamboj does not quite nail it, Pooran gets his front leg out of the way and whips it flat over cow corner. This is a big dent for CSK's playoff race..

Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX, Marsh early on and now Pooran. 6, 6, 6! No respite for Kamboj today. He has got an absolute pasting. This is a full delivery and asking to be put away, Pooran pumps it flat and straight back over the bowler. The ball lands in front of the sightscreen

Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX, dropped! Kartik has spilled it over the rope. Another length delivery and Pooran swings it towards deep mid-wicket. More height than distance this time. Kartik settles just in front of the rope and decides to take it sideways to his right, the ball bursts through his hands and lands beyond the rope

Anshul Kamboj to Nicholas Pooran, SIX, Kamboj continues to disappear today. This is a length delivery and Pooran does not miss out, he clears his front leg and has a clean swing. Plenty of height and lot of distance as well - 101 meters

Anshul Kamboj [2.0-0-39-0] is back into the attack

Timeout LSG are on course to back to back home wins. They need 24 from the last four overs. There's still Rishabh Pant to come. CSK need something miracluous to get the two points.

Mukesh Choudhary to Mukul Choudhary, 2 runs, too straight - on middle and leg, Mukul whips it over backward square leg and Kartik keeps it to a couple

Mukesh Choudhary to Mukul Choudhary, no run, 140.1ks fuller and slanted across, Mukul's feet don't move as he goes searching for the drive, beaten on the outside-edge. Can Mukesh close the over out?

Mukesh Choudhary to Mukul Choudhary, no run, back of a length close to off, not short enough to play the cross-batted pull and rightly Mukul misses out

Mukesh Choudhary to Mukul Choudhary, FOUR, smashed! Mukul shimmies down, gives himself room and flays it over backward point, one bounce and over the ropes. That was perfectly executed

Mukesh Choudhary to Nicholas Pooran, leg byes, 1 run, angling down leg, Choudhary misses the heave and the ball deflects off the pad

Mukesh Choudhary to Mukul Choudhary, 1 run, fullish delivery angled across, Mukul eases it to long-off

Mukesh Choudhary [2.0-0-17-1] is back into the attack

Equation - 32 from 30. Should be easy peasy for the chasing side. What are CSK's options? Kamboj has two, so does Mukesh and Gurjapneet has one. Can the trio pull off something special?

Gurjapneet Singh to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR, Pooran will hope this will get him going. Poor delivery from Gurjapneet - short and wide outside off, Pooran cracks it behind square and gives backward point no chance

Gurjapneet Singh to Mukul Choudhary, 1 run, too straight - on middle and leg, Mukul tucks it into the mid-wicket pocket

Gurjapneet Singh to Mukul Choudhary, FOUR, streaky! LSG will take them any which way. This is an inside-edge and the ball escapes past a diving Samson. Hint of inward movement, Mukul is rooted to the crease and cut into half, the inside-edge flies over the stumps and gives Samson no chance

Gurjapneet Singh to Mukul Choudhary, no run, direct hit and Pooran might have been in trouble. Mukul defends to cover and makes a start. Pooran was a few yards down before returning. He puts in the dive and survives. Kartik's throw also was not on target

Gurjapneet Singh to Mukul Choudhary, no run, 134.2ks good length ball on off, Mukul misses the flick and is struck high on the pad

Gurjapneet Singh to Nicholas Pooran, 1 run, 135.6ks on a length and outside off, Pooran steers with an open bat face to third man

Gurjapneet Singh [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack

Spencer Johnson to Nicholas Pooran, 1 run, 141.3ks not quite short and hence Pooran mistimes the pull to mid-wicket

Spencer Johnson to Nicholas Pooran, no run, 139.8ks back of a length around off, Pooran dabs it behind to Samson

Spencer Johnson to Nicholas Pooran, no run, fraction short and outside off, Pooran sees the width and throws his bat, beaten on the outside-edge

Spencer Johnson to Mukul Choudhary, 1 run, good length ball angled across, Mukul guides it to third man

Mukul Choudhary, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Spencer Johnson to Abdul Samad, out Bowled!! Cleaned up! Johnson gives the perfect reply. He thumps his chest and roars "come on". CSK are still in this. 143ks good length ball, Samad's feet don't move and he plays all over it, gets beaten on the inside-edge and the ball hits the top of middle-stump. Six and out for him. Abdul Samad b Spencer Johnson 7(3) [6s-1]

Spencer Johnson to Abdul Samad, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Spencer Johnson to Abdul Samad, SIX, Johnson is greeted back with a massive hit. This is a length delivery and Samad needs no sighters, second ball and he's had a go, heaves it high and well over the wide long-on fence. 82 meter six..

Spencer Johnson [3.0-0-31-0] is back into the attack

Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, no run, 91.9ks wrong 'un that is fraction short, Pooran hangs back and defends. He wanted to see off Noor's spell

Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, no run, 92.5ks googly that turns in, Pooran does not pick it and misses the sweep, struck on the back

Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, no run, 94.1ks shortens the length, Pooran checks his block and knocks it down the wicket

Most sixes for LSG in an IPL edition \n40 - Nicholas Pooran in 2025 \n37 - Mitchell Marsh in 2025 \n36 - Nicholas Pooran in 2024 \n31 - Mitchell Marsh in 2026 \n30 - KL Rahul in 2022

Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, no run, 92.7ks floated up outside off, Pooran goes hard on the drive and chops it behind to Samson

Noor Ahmad to Abdul Samad, 1 run, flatter and shortens the length, Samad knocks it to long-on

Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, 1 run, tossed up around off, Pooran kneels down and sweeps backward of square

Mukesh Choudhary to Nicholas Pooran, 1 run, short of length delivery, Pooran gets on top of the bounce and pulls to deep backward square

Abdul Samad, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Mukesh Choudhary to Nicholas Pooran, out Mitchell Marsh Run Out!! Well, well! CSK are saying they are not out of this, yet. Both openers gone off successive balls. This is a lucky breakthrough. Full pitcher on off, Pooran drives it gun-barrel straight and Mukesh does well to get down in his followthrough, the ball brushes his hand and hits the stumps at the non-striker's end. Marsh was backing up and is well short of the crease. He knew and started walking as soon as the ball bails were dislodged. A superb knock comes to an end in an unlucky manner. Mitchell Marsh run out (Mukesh Choudhary) 90(38) [4s-9 6s-7]

Mukesh Choudhary to Nicholas Pooran, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

Nicholas Pooran, left handed bat, comes to the crease

Highest partnerships for LSG (any wicket) \n210* - Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul vs KKR, Mumbai DYP, 2022 \n152 - Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant vs RCB, Lucknow, 2025 \n135 - Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis vs CSK, Lucknow, 2026 \n134 - Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul vs CSK, Lucknow, 2024 \n121 - Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran vs GT, Ahmedabad, 2025 \n \nMarsh has been involved in five of the nine century stands for LSG.

Mukesh Choudhary to Josh Inglis, out Caught by Urvil Patel!! The partnership is broken. But it might be too late for CSK. 115.1ks slower ball dug into the pitch, angles it across as well, Inglis sees the width and brings out the cross-batted shot, no pace meant the cut was mistimed and Urvil comes in from sweeper cover to take an easy catch. Not a fluent knock but an important one as he played the perfect second fiddle to Marsh. Josh Inglis c Urvil Patel b Mukesh Choudhary 36(32) [4s-3 6s-1]

Mukesh Choudhary to Josh Inglis, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Mukesh Choudhary to Mitchell Marsh, 1 run, 140.9ks very full and outside off, Marsh squeezes the drive to sweeper cover

Mukesh Choudhary to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR, you just can't bowl short to this guy. If you do then it better be spot on. This one sits up as Mukesh rolled his fingers overs the ball, Marsh gets on top of the bounce and nails the pull in front of square. He bisects deep square leg and deep mid-wicket with precision

Mukesh Choudhary to Josh Inglis, 1 run, 133ks leg-lined delivery, Inglis heaves it over backward square and Noor tidies up