Requiring 21 runs from last to pass LSG’s 176/8, KKR had Rinku well placed; but his two sixes and a four off the last three balls of the match fell just a little (175/7) to force a Super Over.
Previously, LSG owed it Nicholas Pooran‘s 30-ball 58 and his 74-run account for the sixth wicket with Ayush Badoni (25) helping them restart the innings from a precarious 73/5.
(Rinku Singh – Photo: PTI/BCCI/IPL)
The win moved LSG to 17 points and a number three ranking, booking them a spot in the playoffs. With 12 points in 14 games, KKR is now out of the playoff race.
Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have already booked playoff spots. The Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, who play their last games on Sunday, are in the running for the only fourth place.
KKR needed to win in eight overs to overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore with clear running speed and keep their slim IPL playoff hopes alive.
The KKR opening duo of Jason Roy (45) and Venkatesh Iyer (24) showed the right intent, taking on Mohsin Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq in the first two overs to race to 30 without a loss.
Roy then took LSG skipper Krunal to the cleaners when he hit the left-arm spinner three bounds in a row.
From being 61 for no losses, KKR lost the storyline as spinners LSG strangled them right after the powerplay as Iyer, Nitish Rana (8) and Roy all came out for adding by just 21 points.
By then, KKR’s low hopes had faded and it was all about playing for pride.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/23) was the LSG bowlers’ favourite, while Krunal and Krishnappa Gowtham also took a wicket each.
Previously, Pooran held the LSG innings along with fifty counter-runs to propel LSG to a fighting 176/8.
Pooran rebuilt the innings after LSG had lost wickets in a pile, including the in-form duo of Marcus Stoinis for a second-ball duck and Krunal Pandya (9).
Put to bat, LSG struggled to break free early with the new rookie ball bowling duo of Vaibhav Arora (2/30) and Harshit Rana (1/21 from three overs) setting the pace beautifully before the spinners came in action.
Old warhorse Sunil Narine (2/28) and Varun Chakravarthy (1/38) removed Krunal and Quinton de Kock (28) in successive overs to bring cheer to the KKR pitch.
But Pooran produced his display on the break and destroyed Chakravarthy for two fours and a six to start the stealing action. Overall, Pooran hit five sixes and four bounds.
The KKR new ball bowlers set the clock early with Rana giving away just one run in the opener and came back in his next to dismiss Karan Sharma inside the powerplay.
De Kock and Mankad, however, managed to keep their run-rate up with 54/1 in the powerplay, facing KKR’s top spinner Chakravarthy this season.
Just when LSG appeared to have found their feet on a dry Eden surface, Arora’s double strike in the seventh over propelled the visitors further.
(AI Image)
As Mankad (26) went out looking to go airborne, LSG crisis man Stoinis got an unplayable delivery sent off without scoring. He orra had the short ball awkwardly lifted, to which Stoinis had no response and got his glove caught on the slide.
At 55/3 in 6.5 overs, LSG had the duo of De Kock and skipper Krunal to repair the damage but the experienced duo showed little application and went out in successive overs, playing reckless strokes.
Narine got Krunal in her first over, while Chakravarthy dismissed well-placed De Kock who bowled an excruciating sweep.
(More to follow)
