Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) kept their hopes alive for a spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs with a stunning five-run victory over the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI). The match took place at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, May 16.
The standout performer in the match was all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who played a crucial role in LSG’s win by scoring an unbeaten 89 runs off just 47 deliveries. Stoinis displayed his power-hitting skills, smashing eight sixes and four boundaries, rescuing his team after a shaky start at 35 for 3 in the 7th over.
Stoinis initially took his time to settle at the crease but exploded in the 18th over, bowled by MI pacer Chris Jordan. The Australian all-rounder, who was batting at 45 off 35 balls, unleashed his aggressive side and hammered Jordan for three fours and two sixes in a single over, showcasing his dominance.
A gigantic MAXIMUM to reach his fifty 💥
This has been a splendid innings from @MStoinis 🙌
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/yxOTeCROIh #TATAIPL | #LSGvMI pic.twitter.com/C4wSiSygTv
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 16, 2023
Thanks to Stoinis’ explosive innings, LSG managed to post a challenging total of 177 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, MI got off to a flying start, with captain Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan forging a solid 90-run partnership for the opening wicket in less than 10 overs. However, Rohit’s dismissal for 37 off 25 balls triggered a collapse as the Mumbai-based franchise lost five wickets for 55 runs.
Despite all-rounder Tim David’s efforts to keep their side in the chase with his quickfire 32 off 19 balls, which included three sixes, they fell short of the target. LSG bowler Mohsin Khan played a vital role in the final over, defending 10 runs and conceding only five runs, securing the victory for his team.
Having watched LSG winning by a slender margin of 45 runs in the end, former South Africa international AB de Villiers took to micro-blogging website Twitter to have no inhibitions about lauding Stoinis.
“The value of an “in batter” being there for the last 3/4 overs- priceless! I say it again, difference between winning and losing #stoinis,” AB captioned his post.
The value of an “in batter” being there for the last 3/4 overs- priceless! I say it again, difference between winning and losing #stoinis
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 16, 2023
With the win over MI, LSG now sits at the third position in the IPL 2023 standings, with 15 points in 13 matches. If the Super Giants manages to secure a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last match on Saturday (May 20), they will qualify for the playoffs with 17 points.
