Rahul’s ton, Pandya’s 3/19 help Lucknow hand Mumbai Indians another defeat

Mumbai : Skipper KL Rahul struck his second hundred of IPL 2022, a sublime unbeaten 103 and Krunal Pandya claimed 3/19 as Lucknow Super Giants handed Mumbai Indians a second successive defeat this season, winning by 36 runs at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.

Pandya picked up the wickets of the dangerous Rohit Sharma (39), Mumbai Indians’ top scorer, Kieron Pollard (19) and Daniel Sams (3) to lead a clinical bowling performance as Lucknow Super Giants registered their fifth win of the season and moved to fourth in the points table with 10 points.

Gujarat Titans lead with 12 points followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore — in that order — all with 10 points.

Mumbai Indians’ woeful season continued as they slumped to their eighth defeat of the season and remain winless, plumbing the bottom of the table. Mumbai Indians had lost to LSG by 18 runs on April 16, the match in which Rahul scored 103 off 60 balls.

After restricting LSG to 168/6 despite Rahul’s unbeaten century, Mumbai Indians were in a good position to go for their first win of the season. Things started well but they lost their way in the middle overs and succumbed to another defeat.

Chasing 169 to win, Mumbai Indians were off to a good start, reaching 43/0 in the power-play, While Ishan Kishan, Mumbai Indian’s costliest buy in the mega auction before IPL 2022, scratched around for a 20-ball eight, skipper Rohit Sharma looked in good form as he made for him partner’s lack of runs.

Kishan was out with the score at 49 when he got out in an unusual fashion. He reached out to a wide one by spinner Ravi Bishnoi and bottom-edged it. The ball bounced off keeper Quinton de Kock’s left shoe and landed in Holder’s hands at slip. The umpire gave him out after checking the video.

Rohit, who started with a four of the last ball of the first over, cutting a short and wide one by Mohsin Khan over backward point for a one-bounce four, kept Mumbai Indians’ hopes alive. He smashed Holder and D Chameera for boundaries in successive overs and then struck Holder for a six and a four off successive deliveries in the sixth over.

But just when it looked like he and Suryakumar Yadav would take Mumbai to safety, Rohit got out, caught by substitute K Gowtham at short third man as the Mumbai Indians skipper attempts to slog over a length ball by Krunal Sharma on off-stump and top-edges it.

Suryakumar Yadav, promoted in the batting order for this match, did not last long as he is out for 7, Mumbai Indians slumping to 67/4.

Young Tilak Varma and the seasoned Kieron Pollard kept the fight alive by raising 57 runs for the fifth wicket, Varma hitting some pleasing shots as he took the battle to the LSG bowlers. But he got out at the most inappropriate time for Mumbai Indians, caught by Ravi Bishnoi of Jason Holder for 38 (31 balls, 2×4, 2×6) as Mumbai slumped to 124/5.

Pollard too was out soon, trying to force the pace, caught by Dipak Hooda off Krunal Pandya and Mumbai Indians’ hopes ended as they went on to lose by 36 runs.

Earlier, skipper Rahul struck his second hundred of IPL 2022, also second against Mumbai Indians, as Lucknow Super Giants reached 168/6 in 20 overs on being asked to bat first by Rohit Sharma.

Rahul, who had scored his first century of IPL 2022 against Mumbai Indians in his 100th match a few days ago, played a well-controlled innings on a sluggish track to finish with an unbeaten 103 off 62 deliveries. He reached the three-figure mark off 61 balls in the final over of the innings, hitting 12 fours and four sixes.

Rahul waged a lone battle, struggling for help from the other end as the other batters came in and went out in quick succession. Manish Pandey was the second-highest scorer at 22 and shared a 58-run partnership with Rahul for the second wicket.

For Mumbai Indians, winless in seven matches so far in IPL 2022, Riley Meredith (2/40) and Kieron Pollard (2/8) were the most successful bowlers.

Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 168/6 in 20 overs (K.L Rahul 103 not out, Manish Pandey 22; Kieron Pollard 2/8, Riley Meredith 2/40) defeated Mumbai Indians 132/8 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 39, Tilak Varma 38; Krunal Pandya 3/19) by 36 runs.