Kolkata: It's hard to believe that in a game with 70 boundaries, the Lucknow Super Giants managed to win by just one boundary. Even more surprising was how Mitchell Marsh's impressive strike rate of 168.75 barely registered compared to Nicholas Pooran's explosive 87 runs off just 36 balls (SR 241.66).

Allowing 16 wides in a T20 match is pretty unacceptable, yet LSG survived after the Kolkata Knight Riders faltered with some inconsistent batting in the closing overs. Every bowler faced challenges on a day when a total of 472 runs were scored, except for Varun Chakravarthy and Digvesh Rathi, who bowled the crucial 18th over, limiting KKR to just seven runs. At a moment when they needed to hit at least two boundaries per over, that over turned out to be a game-changer.

Chasing 238 runs might seem intimidating, but for a long stretch, KKR appeared to be in control, keeping ahead of the required run rate. Two back-to-back reviews against Quinton de Kock highlighted the pressure of the situation, but Sunil Narine made up for his early exit by blasting 30 runs off 13 balls. Two of his top edges sailed over the slip cordon, and he launched a six off Shardul Thakur, even losing his grip on the bat. Ajinkya Rahane also got in on the action, hitting Akash Deep for four consecutive boundaries over two overs.

The partnership between Rahane and Narine reached fifty runs in just 19 balls, with KKR's captain contributing 34 runs in 13 balls. By the end of the Powerplay, KKR had scored 90/1, marking their second-highest Powerplay total after 105/0 against RCB in 2017, which made LSG aware that the chase was on. However, they responded effectively. Rathi struck early in his first over, dismissing Narine and slowing KKR's momentum by allowing only six runs. With just nine runs off his second over, KKR found themselves struggling to hit big. Nevertheless, their strong start allowed them to reach 129/2 after 10 overs, needing 11 runs per over from that point onward.

Rahane rose to the occasion, reaching his fifty in just 26 balls. He smashed Bishnoi for a six over long-on and sent Avesh Khan's delivery from way outside off to deep fine leg for a boundary. When Thakur bowled five wides in a row, it seemed like LSG might crack under the pressure. However, Rahane's dismissal to a full toss, which he chipped to extra cover, gave LSG a chance to regroup.

In the 14th over, Bishnoi only gave away four runs, and Avesh Khan followed with seven in the 15th, putting KKR in a tough spot with an asking rate climbing over 13. Venkatesh Iyer was out, and shortly after, Andre Russell fell as well, leaving Rinku Singh with the daunting task of leading KKR to victory. He made an effort, but trying to manage both ends while hitting big proved too challenging.

On the other hand, Pooran was in a different league. Coming in as LSG was being set up by Marsh, he had already raced to 32 runs off just 16 balls by the end of the 15th over. This put him in a prime position to attack, while KKR struggled to find a way to halt the onslaught.

Russell came in during a tough spot and made an impact right away with his second delivery, but he ended up paying dearly, giving away 32 runs in just two overs, with 30 of those runs coming from Pooran's bat in six hits. Pooran unleashed his fury in just 36 balls, with 15 of those being boundaries—seven regular ones and eight over the ropes—highlighting KKR's lack of preparation to face LSG’s batting strength.

It's rare to see Narine not bowl his full four overs at home, and while KKR pushed LSG until the final over, it’s clear that the pitch hasn’t been very forgiving to the defending champions. When Rahane was asked about it, he played it safe: “If I say something now, it will cause a stir.” Pooran, on the other hand, had no complaints. You can’t really plan for it, but scoring 55 runs off the last 20 balls of his innings was about as perfect a finish as Pooran could have wished for.

Read Also: Mohammad Kaif Criticizes KKR’s Batting Strategy After Narrow Loss to LSG

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