Lucknow: In a gripping contest in Lucknow, the Super Giants held their nerve to defeat the Mumbai Indians by 12 runs, defending a target of 204 in the final overs at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday. Despite a valiant all-round effort from Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya, who took 5 for 36 and scored 28 off just 16 balls, MI fell just short in the chase.
Suryakumar Yadav struck a fluent half-century to keep Mumbai in the hunt, but a few tight overs at the death swung the game in LSG’s favour. “It’s disappointing when you lose,” Hardik admitted afterwards. “We probably gave away 10–12 runs too many in the field, and that made the difference. As a team, we fell short with the bat.”
Tilak Varma’s unexpected retirement out raised eyebrows, but Hardik explained the move was strategic. “He wasn’t finding the boundary and we needed some big hits. Sometimes, days like that happen.”
For Lucknow, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram provided solid foundations with crucial half-centuries. Captain Rishabh Pant once again struggled with the bat, but praised the team’s collective effort. “We stayed calm and played according to the situation,” he said. “The start Marsh gave helped our middle and lower order to press on.”
The star of the evening, however, was young spinner Digvesh Rathi, who picked up key wickets and showed remarkable control under pressure. “I’ve always enjoyed attacking bowling,” Rathi said. “Sunil Narine has been my inspiration – I want to take responsibility like he does.”
Pant lauded the youngster’s temperament. “He’s one of our key bowlers now. His calmness under pressure really helps us.”
Shardul Thakur also impressed with a disciplined penultimate over. “That’s what we’re paid to do – deliver in high-pressure moments,” he said.
As LSG notch up their second win of the season, MI will look to bounce back quickly. “It’s a long tournament,” Hardik reminded. “A couple of wins and we’ll be back in rhythm.”
