The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 witnessed a thrilling encounter between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 38 at Mohali. LSG scored a mammoth 257/5 in 20 overs, thanks to a blistering century by Quinton de Kock and a quickfire 34 by Deepak Hooda. PBKS, in reply, were off to a shaky start as they lost KL Rahul and Jonny Bairstow in the first over. However, they fought back with some spirited batting by Kyle Mayers, Liam Livingstone and Rishi Dhawan, who kept them in the hunt till the last over. However, they fell short by 20 runs as Dushmantha Chameera and Jason Holder bowled brilliantly at the death.
This was the second-highest total in IPL history, and the highest by any team against PBKS. LSG also avenged their previous loss to PBKS by two wickets in match 21 at Lucknow. LSG moved up to the third spot in the points table with this win, while PBKS slipped to the fifth position.
The match was full of records and milestones. Quinton de Kock scored his maiden IPL hundred in just 51 balls, hitting 11 fours and six sixes. He also became the first LSG player to score a century in IPL. He shared a 85-run stand with Hooda for the second wicket, which set the platform for a big total. Hooda smashed three fours and two sixes in his 28-ball knock.
LSG also had contributions from Krunal Pandya (17 off 10), Marcus Stoinis (11 off 8) and Chameera (17 off 10), who added some valuable runs in the end overs. Chameera hit two sixes off Kagiso Rabada in the final over, which took LSG past 250.
PBKS had a nightmare start as they lost their captain and opener Rahul for a duck in the first ball of their innings. He edged a length ball from Chameera to de Kock behind the stumps. Bairstow followed him soon as he was caught by Sandeep Sharma off Holder for one.
Mayers and Livingstone then launched a counter-attack, adding 63 runs for the third wicket in just 5.2 overs. Mayers was particularly aggressive, hitting six fours and three sixes in his 24-ball 46. He was dismissed by Rabada, who had him caught by Livingstone at long-on.
Livingstone continued his assault, hitting four fours and five sixes in his 38-ball 64. He shared a 52-run stand with Dhawan for the fifth wicket, which kept PBKS in the game. Dhawan played a cameo of 28 off 14 balls, hitting three fours and a six.
However, LSG bowlers kept their nerve and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Chameera finished with figures of 4/38, while Holder took 2/32. Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan also bowled well, conceding less than nine runs per over.
PBKS ended up with 237/8 in 20 overs, falling short by 20 runs. This was their highest total in IPL history, but not enough to chase down LSG's massive score.
This match was a treat for the fans, who witnessed some high-quality batting and bowling from both sides. LSG showed their depth and firepower in their batting lineup, while PBKS showed their fighting spirit and resilience in their chase. Both teams will look to carry forward their momentum in their next matches.