Lucknow Super Giants’ first-ever evening at the MA Chidambaram Stadium did not turn out to be that ‘Super’ as we fell just 12 runs short of chasing down a target of 218 set by the Chennai Super Kings. 

Searching for their first win of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, CSK registered the season’s highest total so far of 217/7 on board in their 20 overs. Kyle Mayers led LSG’s reply with a fluent half-century but the match, under CSK’s home conditions, just slipped out of our hands in the final few overs despite Nicholas Pooran’s surge.

We still played with our hearts on the field though and can take plenty of positives from our first away game of the season. 

A spirited fightback from our bowlers after CSK openers scored at over 13 runs per over in the powerplay and back-to-back half-centuries from our new recruit Kyle Mayers inspires confidence among the Lucknow fans. Nicholas Pooran too was sublime in the lower middle order but four wickets from CSK’s Moeen Ali put some breaks on our run chase.

Bishnoi goes fishing in storm

It was raining sixes and fours at Chepauk when Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were at the crease hitting boundaries at will. The duo powered Chennai Super Kings to 79/0 in the powerplay overs - the highest-ever at the venue before Kyle Mayers’ destructive 53 off 22 snatched the record for LSG in the second innings. 

At 110 for no loss in just nine overs, nothing seemed impossible to get for the Chennai Super Kings. It was until Ravi Bishnoi was given the ball by our Kaptaan KL Rahul!

On the very first delivery of his spell in the 10th over of the game, Bishnoi offered a flighted delivery outside the off-stump line and found the top edge of Gaikwad courtesy of extra bounce. The catch was neatly taken by Mark Wood at short third man.

Devon Conway’s wicket by Mark Wood in the next over helped us claw our way back into the match and put some leash on the run rate. 

Bishnoi, in a game where bowlers from both sides were going over 10 runs per over, finished with impressive figures of 3/28. He also took the wickets of two set batsmen Shivam Dube (27 off 16) and Moeen Ali (19 off 13).

Wood, meanwhile, ended up with the figures of 3/49 in four overs and is way ahead in the race for the Purple Cap with eight wickets from two matches. Mark Wood picked up Ravindra Jadeja (3 off 6) and CSK skipper MS Dhoni (12 off 3) in the final over of the innings.

Mayers stands and delivers

Kyle Mayers followed up his 73 off 38 against the Delhi Capitals in the opener with another blinder of a half-century against the Chennai Super Kings. He greeted Ben Stokes with a 4,4,6 in the second over of the innings to set the tempo for the run chase. Mayers was dismissed on 53 in the sixth over of the match by Moeen Ali but not before hitting eight fours and two sixes in his 22-ball innings.

Nicholas Pooran’s 32 off 18 kept us in the hunt but his dismissal affected our run chase and we finished the match on 205/7 in 20 overs. 

What next for our Super Giants?

Next, we will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad at BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Despite our loss in Chennai, we are third on the points table with one win and one loss and a net run rate of +0.95. SRH, meanwhile, were drubbed on their home ground by Rajasthan Royals by 72 runs.

The two teams faced each other once last season with our boys emerging on top by 12 runs after putting up 169/7 on board. 

Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 217/7 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 57, Devon Conway 47, Ravi Bishnoi 3/28, Mark Wood 3/49) beat Lucknow Super Giants 205/7 (Kyle Mayers 53, Nicholas Pooran 32, Moeen Ali 4/26) by 12 runs.