Gautam Gambhir, renowned for his success at the Eden Gardens and against the Kolkata crowd, experienced a unique role reversal on Saturday. Having previously led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles during his seven seasons with the franchise, Gambhir returned to the iconic ground as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants. Despite facing the wild "Virat Kohli" chants from the crowd throughout the second innings, Gambhir and his team emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter, securing their place in the playoffs.
Lucknow Super Giants faced a daunting task following Chennai Super Kings' resounding victory against the Delhi Capitals earlier in the day. They not only needed to win but also had to do so by a considerable margin to secure a spot in the top two and secure a playoffs berth. However, their top order faltered early on, putting their chances in jeopardy. It was Nicholas Pooran's fiery half-century knock that ultimately saved the day, guiding them to a total of 176 for eight.
A breathtaking finish to a sensational encounter! _@LucknowIPL clinch a victory by just 1 run after Rinku Singh's remarkable knock _
Scorecard __ https://t.co/7X1uv1mCyL #TATAIPL | #KKRvLSG pic.twitter.com/umJAhcMzSQ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2023
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Kolkata Knight Riders, who still harboured hopes of making the playoffs, made a strong start with Jason Roy and Venkatesh Iyer forging a solid 61-run partnership. During this period, the Eden Gardens crowd playfully taunted Gambhir and Naveen-ul-Haq with "Kohli" chants. However, once both openers were dismissed, Lucknow's spinners tightened the noose, causing the middle order of Kolkata to collapse.
Ravi Bishnoi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Yash Thakur, and Naveen performed impressively with the ball. But the highlight of the match came from Rinku Singh, who nearly single-handedly took Kolkata to victory. With 40 runs needed off the last two overs, Singh struck the Afghan quick for 20 runs, coming agonizingly close to securing the win but falling short by just one run.
The intense celebration that followed LSG's thrilling victory showcased Gambhir's sheer joy. He repeatedly banged the table and embraced one of his teammates, his face devoid of a smile throughout the entire act. Despite their triumph, Lucknow Super Giants failed to surpass Chennai Super Kings in terms of net run rate, meaning CSK would face the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023. Lucknow would have to await the final league day's results to determine their opponents for the Eliminator round.
