IPL 2022: K. L. Rahul hits stylish ton, MI tumbles again
K. L. Rahul hits an unbeaten 103 and Avesh Khan picks up three wickets as Lucknow Super Giants inflicts an 18-run defeat on Mumbai Indians.
Published : Apr 16, 2022 20:31 IST
K. L. Rahul made his 100th IPL match a memorable one as he struck a sublime unbeaten century (103 n.o., 60b, 9x4, 5x6) to help Lucknow Super Giants hand Mumbai Indians its sixth straight defeat of the season here at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
Rahul’s century powered the Super Giants to 199 for four before his bowlers led by Avesh Khan (3 for 30) produced a brilliant all-around performance to script an 18-run win. In the past, the Super Giants skipper came under criticism for his scoring rate in T20s despite his big knocks. But on Saturday, he was able to shift gears up seamlessly as he toyed with the Mumbai bowling attack without taking any risks.
IPL 2022, LSG v MI - HIGHLIGHTS
Chasing 200 for victory, Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan failed to deliver yet again.
As in the last game, Dewald Brevis produced another dazzling cameo, slamming five boundaries and a six in his knock of 31 off just 13 balls. He went after Dushmantha Chameera, hitting him for one six and two fours in one over. He then followed it up with two more off Avesh before the latter won the battle when Brevis hit a full toss straight to cover.
Suryakumar Yadav top-scored again with 38 before he pulled a long-hop straight to square leg off Ravi Bishnoi which pretty much sealed the five-time champions’ fate.
Blazing start
Earlier, asked to bat first, the Super Giants got off to a blazing start thanks to Quinton de Kock who slammed two boundaries each off M. Ashwin and Jayadev Unadkat as he and Rahul added 52 for the first wicket. Rahul then went after Tymal Mills in the fifth over, hitting the left-arm pacer for two boundaries and a six over point.
While it took him 23 balls for his first thirty runs, he then raced to his half-century in the next ten balls with a couple of sixes off M. Ashwin and Jayadev Unadkat. From there, the Super Giants skipper was unstoppable as he and Manish Pandey (38) hit Tymal Mills for two boundaries each in the 13th over.
In Allen’s last over, the 29-year-old went after the left-arm spinner, cutting him for a boundary before pulling and slog sweeping him for consecutive sixes. Rahul got to his century with two boundaries through the off-side off Mills, who conceded 54 runs in three overs.
Mumbai Indians yet again paid the price for an indifferent bowling effort despite the decent efforts of Jasprit Bumrah, Unadkat and Ashwin as Mills and Allen conceded 100 runs from the seven overs between them.