Lucknow Super Giants clinched a last-over thriller against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium on Tuesday to exponentially boost their chances of making it to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 playoffs.

After a brilliant rescue act by Marcus Stoinis helped LSG set the visitors a target of 178 to win, MI seemed to be running away with the game courtesy a brilliant opening-wicket stand between Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma. However, some tight bowling in the middle overs by Ravi Bishnoi and a superb final over, under pressure, by Mohsin Khan helped LSG edge through.

The win lifts LSG to the third spot in the table with 15 points from 13 games and puts them in a favourable position to qualify for the playoffs with just one game left to play in the league stage.

Krunal-Stoinis steadies ship after rocky start

Put in to bat first by MI, LSG lost Deepak Hooda and Prerak Mankad early with Jason Behrendorff picking up both with consecutive deliveries. Quinton de Kock’s time out in the middle, meanwhile, was cut short by Piyush Chawla as the hosts found themselves reeling at 35/3.

Captain Krunal Pandya and Marcus Stoinis, however, steadied LSG’s ship and put on 82 runs for the fourth wicket before Krunal was forced off the field with an injury, just one short of his half-century.

Stoinis finishes with a flurry

Akash Madhwal thought he had caught Stoinis plump LBW soon after but the Aussie batter was given a lifeline after a DRS review overturned the on-field umpire’s verdict. Stoinis made the most of his second chance and raced to his half-century before breaking loose.

Stoinis’ rampaging 89 off 47 led LSG to a respectable total of 177/3 in theory allotted 20 overs.

Rohit-Ishan gets MI off to a flier

The MI openers - Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan - got the away team’s chase off to a flier and put on 90 runs for the opening stand, and that too in quick time.

Just as it looked that MI were running away with the match, Ravi Bishnoi brought the home team right back in the contest by removing both the set openers. The in-form Suryakumar Yadav, too, fell to Yash Thakur as the LSG bowlers stifled MI for runs.

With 30 left to get for the final two overs, Tim David threatened yet another turnaround with two big hits off Naveen ul-Haq and reduced MI’s ask to just 11 from the last over. But up stepped Mohsin Khan with a brilliant final over under pressure, giving away just five runs.

What next for the Super Giants?

LSG will be on the road to face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens for their final IPL 2023 league game this Saturday.

Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 177/3 (Marcus Stoinis 89, Krunal Pandya 49, Jason Behrendorff 2/30) beat Mumbai Indians 172/5 (Ishan Kishan 59, Rohit Sharma 37, Ravi Bishnoi 2/26) by five runs.