Kolkata, Apr 8: A night of sixes, drama, and heart-pounding momentum-shifts ended with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) holding their nerve to clinch a nail-biting four-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in one of the most entertaining matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 so far, at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday.

Riding on blazing innings from Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, LSG piled up a mammoth 238/3 — their second-highest total in IPL history — only for KKR to come within touching distance of pulling off a record chase before falling short at 234/7.

Sent in to bat on a belter of a surface, LSG openers Marsh (81) and Aiden Markram (47) gave their side a dream start. Marsh, showing glimpses of his vintage best, unleashed a flurry of clean, powerful strokes, while Markram complemented him with smart placement and timing.

Their 99-run opening stand in just 10.2 overs set the tone, with Marsh powering his way to 81 off 48 balls, peppered with seven fours and five sixes. Once Markram fell to Harshit Rana, it was Nicholas Pooran who took centre stage.

Pooran, now firmly among the most feared finishers in T20 cricket, was simply unstoppable. He raced to a half-century off just 21 balls, and finished with an unbeaten 87 off 36, including eight monstrous sixes and five fours. He toyed with the KKR attack, especially targeting Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, as LSG surged past 230 to set a daunting target of 238/3.

In response, KKR came out swinging. Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine took 31 off the first two overs, feasting on Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur. Though Akash returned to trap de Kock LBW with a smart change of pace, it barely slowed KKR’s momentum.

Ajinkya Rahane, showing his reinvention in T20 cricket wasn’t a flash in the pan, batted with flair and urgency. Along with Narine, he took KKR to 90/1 in the Powerplay — their best this season. The Eden Gardens crowd was buzzing as Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer built a strong stand, taking on Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi in the middle overs.

Rathi, who was fined earlier in the season for his elaborate celebrations, struck a crucial blow by dismissing his idol Narine for 30 and celebrated in his trademark style — scribbling something on the ground.

Rahane brought up his half-century in 26 balls, but LSG pulled things back spectacularly between overs 13 and 16, snatching four key wickets in the space of 16 deliveries. Thakur removed Rahane on 61 with a clever wide full toss after conceding five consecutive wides, Bishnoi had Ramandeep Singh caught slogging, Avesh Khan cleaned up Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Akash Deep returned to dismiss the dangerous Venkatesh Iyer for 45.

With 61 needed off the last five overs, KKR still had hope as Andre Russell and Rinku Singh took charge. But Thakur struck again to remove Russell, and a disciplined penultimate over from Avesh left Rinku with too much to do in the final six balls.

Needing 23 from the last over, Rinku nearly pulled off the impossible. He struck two fours and a six in the final three deliveries but couldn’t prevent the inevitable, remaining unbeaten on 38 off 15.

Brief scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 238/3 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 87 not out, Mitchell Marsh 81; Harshit Rana 2-51, Andre Russell 1-32) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 234/7 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 61, Venkatesh Iyer 45; Shardul Thakur 2-52, Akash Deep 2-55) by four runs.

(IANS)

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