Lucknow Super Giants clinched a thrilling victory against Chennai Super Kings as Marcus Stoinis showcased his brilliance with an unbeaten 124 runs, securing a target of 211 with six wickets and three balls to spare on Tuesday.
Stoinis, marking his maiden IPL century and second in T20 cricket, overshadowed Chennai’s skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unbeaten 108, achieved at his home ground, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Despite a shaky start with Lucknow at 88-3 after 11 overs, Stoinis partnered with Nicholas Pooran, who contributed 34 off 15 balls, and later with Deepak Hooda, forging an unbeaten 65-run alliance, steering Lucknow to victory in 19.3 overs.
In a remarkable display of skill, Stoinis reached his hundred in just 56 balls, alongside Hooda’s notable 17 not out off six balls, securing Lucknow’s consecutive win over Chennai and positioning them in fourth place.
During the final over, needing 17 runs, Stoinis exhibited his dominance by smashing Mustafizur Rahman for a six and three fours, including one off a no ball.
Chennai’s skipper Gaikwad acknowledged Lucknow’s exceptional performance, stating, “Tough pill to swallow, but good game of cricket.” He praised Stoinis for his stellar innings, admitting that Lucknow played exceptionally well towards the end.
Stoinis entered the fray in the first over following Quinton de Kock’s early dismissal, pacing his innings meticulously to accumulate 13 fours and six sixes in his 63-ball knock.
His remarkable performance also marked the highest score by a batsman while chasing in the IPL, earning admiration from teammate Hooda, who described Stoinis as a source of motivation.
On the bowling front, Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana claimed two crucial wickets, including the dangerous Pooran.
Chennai had set a formidable total of 210-4, courtesy of Gaikwad’s second IPL century and a resilient 104-run partnership between Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, who contributed 66 runs.
Despite early setbacks with the dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Daryl Mitchell, Gaikwad took charge of the innings, reaching his century from 56 balls.
Gaikwad’s stellar performance propelled him to second place in this season’s batting chart, trailing behind Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli.
Dube’s aggressive innings came to an end with a run out in the final over, which also witnessed the iconic M.S. Dhoni’s entry to the field, concluding the innings with a four off the final ball amidst a rousing reception.
