IPL 2024: Stoinis’ Century Propels LSG to Victory, Ends CSK’s Home Streak

Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten innings of 124 helped Lucknow Supergiants chase down Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets chasing a target of 211 runs in 19.3 overs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Skipper Ruturaj Gaekwad’s unbeaten 108 and Shivam Dubey’s brisk 66 saw CSK score 210 in 20 overs, but the visitors crossed the finish line as the Australians led from the front. CSK were put to bat first as they resumed the innings with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane, but the right-handed batting pair did not last long as Rahane was sent back to the hut by Matt Henry as LSG captain KL Rahul. Caught it behind the stumps.

Daryl Mitchell, who came in at No.3 on the day, was given early relief by being dropped by Yash Thakur at slip. Gaikwad, who had scored a fifty in his previous game at The Den, settled in well for the night as he hit boundaries at regular intervals. Thakur avenged his mistake on the field as he dismissed Mitchell in the final over of the Powerplay as the Kiwis got away before much damage was done. Chennai crossed the fifty-run mark in the seventh over of the game and Ravindra Jadeja was promoted to No. 4 in the batting order. Gaikwad completed his fifty with a flurry of scintillating shots around the park before being ended by fast bowler Mohsin Khan after Jadeja scored 16 runs. Shivam Dube came in to replace his fallen fellow southpaw and accompanied his captain, who delighted the partisan yellow crowd as he capitalized on his good touch racking up runs with a plethora of textbook cricket shots to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Dubey resorted to what he did best by knocking the LSG bowlers out of the advertising hoardings to a rousing ovation from the stands whenever the ball went out of play. Gaekwad kept Chepauk faithful on their feet as he raised his ton with two boundaries off Thakur in the 18th over of the game and raised his willow in joy. Dubey added the cherry on top with his fifty marked by three boundaries, two sixes and a four off Mohsin’s over.

The pair of Gaekwad and Dubey put on a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket in 44 balls as the latter smashed MAC in the flamboyant canopy.

Dube was caught near the crease in the final over and was run out by Quinton de Kock in the final over, making way for what the crowd had paid to see as MS Dhoni stepped out to polish the innings. Flashlights on every cellular device in the house decorated the starry stadium as Dhoni ended the innings as CSK posted a total of 210 in 20 overs, with skipper Gaikwad unbeaten on his highest IPL total of 108. Deepak met Chahar. An early break in the defense of the mammoth total when he castels de Kock, who pulls one onto his stumps in the first over. Rahul and Marcus Stoinis added 33 before Mustafizur Rahman’s name got on the scoresheet with the scalp of Rahul, caught at cover by his CSK counterpart Gaikwad.

Lucknow brought fifty runs on the scoreboard in the seventh over as CSK introduced spin at both ends with Moeen Ali and Jadeja coming in as the first and second change bowlers of the day. Stoinis paced his innings well to complete his second half-century of the season in 26 balls, around the halfway mark of the chase, as fans at the stadium applauded the Aussie’s efforts despite doing so in blue. Mathisha Pathira’s Jaffa came through as he dismissed Devdutt Paddikal for 13 as the dangerous Nicholas Pooran walked out to replace him. Stoinis continued his rampage at one end, while Pooran added 34 runs in rapid fashion before Pathirana notched his second scalp of the day and sent the big Windies batsman back to the dugout.