IPL 2022: KL Rahul's Ton & Pandya's 3/19 Help Lucknow Trump Mumbai Indians

Lucknow Super Giants defeated Mumbai Indians by 36 runs on Sunday night at the Wankhede Stadium.

IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians have slumped to their eighth defeat of the season.

(Photo: BCCI)

• Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 36 runs in Sunday's IPL 2022 match at the Wankhede Stadium.

• Lucknow Super Giants 168/6 in 20 overs (K.L Rahul 103 not out, Manish Pandey 22; Kieron Pollard 2/8, Riley Meredith 2/40)

• Mumbai Indians 132/8 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 39, Tilak Varma 38; Krunal Pandya 3/19)

KL Rahul’s captain’s knock, followed by an all-round performance from the Lucknow Super Giants' bowlers with Krunal Pandya picking 3/19, has helped the team trump Mumbai Indians by 36 runs in Sunday’s IPL 2022 match.

Krunal picked up the wickets of Rohit Sharma (39), Kieron Pollard (19) and Daniel Sams (3) to lead a clinical bowling performance as Lucknow registered their fifth win of the season and moved to fourth spot in the points table with 10 points.

Mumbai slumped to their eighth straight defeat of the season, in as many outings.

IPL 2022 Points table

(Photo: The Quint)

Rahul's Century Anchored Lucknow's Innings

Earlier, KL Rahul scored his second century of this season, remaining unbeaten on 103 to help Lucknow Super Giants post 168/6 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Rahul had scored his first century of the season against Mumbai Indians a few days back. He joins Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan as the third Indian to score two centuries in the same edition of IPL.

Rahul played a well-controlled innings on a sluggish track to finish with an unbeaten 103 off 62 deliveries. He reached the three-figure mark off 61 balls in the final over of the innings, hitting 12 fours and four sixes.

The 30-year-old from Karnataka waged a lone battle, struggling for help from the other end as the other batters came in and went out in a procession. Manish Pandey was the second-highest scorer with 22 runs for LSG.

Lucknow Super Giants dugout celebrate KL Rahul's century.

(Photo: BCCI)

KL Rahul scored his second century of IPL 2022.

(Photo: BCCI)

Asked to bat first by Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, Lucknow Super Giants could manage only 32/1 in the power-play as they got off to a slow start.

Quinton de Kock was the first to go, caught by skipper Rohit Sharma, driving at a low full toss and mistiming it. He had survived a chance on the previous delivery as Tilak Varma guided the ball over the rope while attempting a catch. That was the lone boundary for the South African opener as he departed for 10 with the score 27/1.

Rahul and Manish Pandey raised 58 runs for the second wicket, the only substantial partnership of the innings. Pandey, who lofted an overpitched delivery by Riley Meredith over long-on for his lone six, was caught by Meredith off Poland as he top-edged to short fine leg after a run-a-ball 22.

Rahul soldiered on from the other end. He started on a sedate note and struck his first boundary, hitting Hrithik Shokeen for a four down the ground. He hammered Daniel Sams for fours off successive deliveries in the third over -- a scythe over the covers being the eye-catchy one, completing his half-century off 37 balls.

Rahul deposited a slower one from Jaydev Unadkat in leg-side stands, pulling the from outside off in the ninth over. In the next over, he blasted a short one from Meredith to the mid-wicket boundary for a four and followed it up by forcing it past the sweeper cover on the next delivery.

In the 18th over, Rahul hammered Undadkat for three successive fours -- the one over the bowler's head off an attempted yorker the standout shot of the three boundaries.

He reached his century with a six-over midwicket off Meredith and guided LSG to a defendable total. His only other notable partnership in this innings was of 46 runs for the sixth wicket with Ayush Badoni (14).

For Mumbai Indians, Riley Meredith (2/40) and Kieron Pollard (2/8) were the most successful bowlers.

Mumbai's Chase

Chasing 169 to win, Mumbai Indians were off to a good start, reaching 43/0 in the power-play. While Ishan Kishan, Mumbai Indians' costliest buy in the mega auction before IPL 2022, scratched around for a 20-ball eight, skipper Rohit Sharma looked in good form as he made for his partner's lack of runs.

Kishan lost his wicket with the team's score at 49, in an unusual fashion. He reached out to a wide one by spinner Ravi Bishnoi and bottom-edged it. The ball bounced off keeper Quinton de Kock's left shoe and landed in Holder's hands at slip. The umpire gave him out after checking the video.

Rohit, who started with a four of the last ball of the first over, cutting a short and wide one by Mohsin Khan over backward point for a one-bounce four, kept Mumbai Indians' hopes alive. He smashed Holder and D Chameera for boundaries in successive overs and then struck Holder for a six and a four off successive deliveries in the sixth over.

Lucknow Super Giants celebrate their win over Mumbai Indians.

(Photo: BCCI)

But just when it looked like he and Suryakumar Yadav would take Mumbai to safety, Rohit got out, caught by substitute K Gowtham at short third man. While attempting to slog a length ball by Krunal Sharma, Rohit top-edged it and got caught.

Suryakumar Yadav, promoted in the batting order for this match, did not last long as he got out for 7 and the team slumped to 67/4.

Young Tilak Varma and the seasoned Kieron Pollard kept the fight alive by raising 57 runs for the fifth wicket, Varma hitting some pleasing shots as he took the battle to the LSG bowlers. But he got out at the most inappropriate time for Mumbai Indians, caught by Ravi Bishnoi off Jason Holder for 38 (31 balls, 2x4, 2x6) as Mumbai slumped to 124/5.

Pollard too was out soon, trying to force the pace, caught by Deepak Hooda off Krunal Pandya and Mumbai Indians' hopes ended as they went on to lose by 36 runs.

(With inputs from IANS)