Tensions have reportedly started in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) camp as they were in a crucial position in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The KL Rahul-led team had a forgettable outing in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad ( SRH).
The 57th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 took place between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The team led by KL Rahul was left clueless and suffered a 10-wicket rout.
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bat first. It looked like they would post a grand total on the board. However, that was not the case as they started poorly with the bat. Quinton de Kock (2) and Marcus Stoinis (3) died early and the team came under pressure.
Captain KL Rahul (29) struggled with his timing while Krunal Pandya (24) played a vital hand with the bat. Lucknow Super Giants were reeling at 66/4 and looked like they would get everything out early. However, after that, Ayush Badoni (55*) and Nicholas Pooran (48) brought their team back into the game.
The duo added an unbeaten 99 runs and got Lucknow Super Giants out of trouble. Based on their collective effort with the bat, the home team posted a total of 165 runs on the board. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the players with figures of 2/12 for his team.
Lucknow Super Giants looked clueless with the ball as Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen Abhishek Sharma (75*) and Travis Head (89*) launched an attack on the bowlers early on. The bowling lineup was mocked as nearly all the balls flew out of the park.
The duo added an unbeaten 167 runs and chased down the target in 10 overs to help Sunrisers Hyderabad register their seventh win of the season. They also increased their NRR and made sure to make a strong case for the playoffs.
Lucknow Super Giants qualification scenario for IPL 2024 playoffs
The loss against Sunrisers was Lucknow Super Giants’ 6th loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. They are currently 6th in the points table with 6 wins and 6 losses under their belt. They also have an NRR of -0.769, which is not ideal for them in the context of the playoffs.
However, even after the loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs. Lucknow Super Giants have to win their next two games of IPL 2024 as that will take them to 16 points, which could take them to the playoffs.
However, there is no guarantee of that. Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings also have 12 points and Lucknow Super Giants would like both teams to lose one of the remaining games and the road will be easy for them. A defeat for LSG now would mean the end of the tournament.