The IPL 2023 campaign of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) came to a disappointing end on Wednesday, May 24, as they were defeated by the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, effectively knocking them out of the tournament. LSG suffered a heavy 81-run defeat as the Mumbai Indians restricted them to a meager total of 101 runs in 16.3 overs while chasing a target of 183.
LSG made a bold move by altering their starting lineup for this crucial match, opting to bench the talented Quinton de Kock. Instead, they decided to call back Kyle Mayers into the playing combination, utilizing him as an impact player. Mayers had previously showcased his explosive abilities at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, scoring a powerful half-century. However, his performance in this game fell short as he was bowled out by Chris Jordan for 18 runs from 13 balls in the fourth over. Follow your favourite IPL team with attractive cricket betting odds from Dafabet.
After Mayers’ dismissal, Lucknow found themselves in a difficult position at 23/2 in their pursuit of 183 runs. Nevertheless, captain Krunal Pandya and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis worked to stabilize the innings. The pair managed to build a 46-run partnership for the third wicket before Pandya fell to Piyush Chawla in the ninth over.
Following Pandya’s dismissal, Lucknow’s batting lineup struggled to make an impact, with the final seven batters contributing only 42 runs collectively. With 21 balls remaining, the game was effectively over for Lucknow. During the post-match presentation, Pandya was questioned about the surprising decision to rest de Kock. He defended the decision, stating, “Quinton de Kock is a quality batter, but Kyle Mayers has a better record here (Chepauk), so we went ahead with him in the playing XI.”
Reflecting on Lucknow’s overall campaign this year, it is worth noting that de Kock was not initially included in the starting lineup until KL Rahul’s unfortunate injury forced a change. De Kock then took on the role of opening the innings alongside Mayers. The team relied heavily on Indian pacers due to the expectation that Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis would provide stability in the middle order, but this strategy did not yield the desired results.
Interestingly, Lucknow initially removed Mayers from the XI but later reintroduced him for the crucial Eliminator match, aiming to inject an international pacer into the mix. Unfortunately, this decision failed to have a significant impact on the team’s fortunes.
As Lucknow bids farewell to IPL 2023, they will undoubtedly analyze their performances, strategies, and team composition in order to regroup and come back stronger in future editions of the tournament. Get all the latest updates from IPL 2023 only on Dafabet Sports.
