LSG Triumphs Over MI, But Both Teams Miss Playoffs

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) emerged victorious over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-scoring encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, but both teams were left with a sense of disappointment. LSG's 18-run win took them to 14 points, but their negative net run rate (-0.667) kept them out of the top four. MI, on the other hand, finished bottom of the points table with their tenth defeat of the season.

LSG's innings was anchored by Nicholas Pooran's blistering 75 off 29 deliveries. With the top order struggling, Pooran's knock injected life into the innings against an inexperienced MI attack missing Jasprit Bumrah. KL Rahul also contributed with a steady 55.

MI's chase started promisingly with Rohit Sharma smashing boundaries at will. However, the middle overs proved disastrous as they lost five wickets for 32 runs, effectively ending their hopes of a realistic chase. Rohit's 68 and Tilak Varma's 62* were in vain as LSG's bowlers, led by Ravi Bishnoi (2-37) and Avesh Khan (2-50), kept them at bay.

The result marked a disappointing end to MI's season under new captain Hardik Pandya, who finished last for the second time in three seasons. LSG, despite their impressive win, will also miss out on the playoffs for the first time in their three-season history.

Tags: #IPL2023, #LucknowSuperGiants, #MumbaiIndians, #NicholasPooran, #RohitSharma