Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets on the final ball in a closely contested match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, registering their second consecutive win.
Kolkata Knight Riders posted 181 for 4 in 20 overs after being put in to bat, with captain Ajinkya Rahane scoring 41 and wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi contributing 45. The pair added 85 runs for the second wicket to provide a solid platform, but the middle order failed to accelerate, resulting in a total that fell short of expectations in the final overs.
KKR innings: Rahane and Raghuvanshi build foundation
Kolkata made a steady start after losing the toss, with Rahane and Raghuvanshi maintaining scoring momentum beyond the powerplay. Following their dismissals, the middle order lost wickets at regular intervals despite the presence of Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh, preventing the team from reaching a higher total.
Lucknow bowlers maintain control in death overs
Mohammed Shami conceded 27 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket, maintaining pressure during the latter stages. M. Siddharth and Digvesh Singh Rathi picked up key wickets.
Lucknow chase: Early setbacks despite b start
Chasing 182, Lucknow Super Giants began positively with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram adding 41 runs for the first wicket. However, both were dismissed in the fifth over, with Markram scoring 22 and Marsh 15, putting the team under pressure.
Captain Rishabh Pant scored 10 before being dismissed, while Nicholas Pooran added 13, as wickets continued to fall and the chase became challenging.
Badoni and Chaudhary lead recovery
Ayush Badoni scored 54 off 34 balls to stabilise the innings and keep Lucknow in contention. After his dismissal, Mukul Chaudhary, batting at number seven, scored an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls, including two fours and seven sixes, to turn the match in Lucknow’s favour.
Lucknow completed the chase on the final ball, handing Kolkata another defeat this season as they remain without a win. Chaudhary was named Player of the Match.
