LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants boosted their hopes for reaching the Indian Premier League playoffs with a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians that was tempered by fast bowler Mayank Yadav’s apparent injury Tuesday.
Yadav, who was returning after missing Lucknow’s last five games because of abdominal soreness, left the field in the penultimate over after claiming 1-31 off his 19 balls, but Muambai had lost its way inside the power play and was restricted at 144-7.
Marcus Stoinis continued his impressive all-round run with a composed 62 off 45 balls as Lucknow reached 145-6 in 19.2 overs for their sixth win in 10 games to reach No. 3 on the points table.
Mumbai stayed at No. 9 with only three wins and seven losses.
Mumbai had a disastrous start when it lost the Big 3 named to the T20 World Cup squad inside the first six overs. Rohit Sharma (4), Suryakumar Yadav (10) and captain Hardik Pandya (0) along with Tilak Varma’s run-out saw them reeling at 27-4.
Sharma was brilliantly snapped by Stoinis at the covers while captain Lokesh Rahul, overlooked by the Indian selectors for the T20 World Cup, grabbed low catches of Yadav and Pandya before Varma couldn’t beat the direct throw of Ravi Bishnoi.
Yadav should have had the wicket of Ishan Kishan in his first spell but Ashton Turner fluffed a regulation catch at deep mid-wicket in his first IPL game before the left-hander scrapped to 32 off 36 balls.
Yadav had Mohammad Nabi clean bowled in his return spell before he walked off the field with a suspected injury as Mumbai batters struggled on a sluggish wicket.
Nehal Wadhera top-scored with 46 off 41 balls before Tim David’s quickfire unbeaten 35 off 18 balls saved Mumbai from complete destruction.
Rahul (28) and Stoinis took charge of Lucknow’s chase in the power play with a 58-run stand despite Nuwan Thushara getting impact player Arshin Kulkarni leg before wicket off his second ball.
Rahul fell to a well judged catch by Nabi on the edge of the boundary line and Stoinis, who raised his half century off 39 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes, also holed out at deep mid-wicket while looking for a big shot against Nabi’s off-spin in the 15th over.
