Stoinis smashes 89 off 47 balls to fire LSG to 177/3 against MI in IPL
Lucknow, May 16: Marcus Stoinis flaunted his raw power on way to a career-best 89 not out in the IPL as Lucknow Super Giants recovered from a poor start to post 177 for three against Mumbai Indians on a challenging pitch here on Tuesday.
Stoinis smashed seven sixes in his belligerent 47-ball effort and shared an 82 run stand with stand in skipper Krunal Pandya (49 retired hurt) after LSG found themselves reeling at 35 for three in the seventh over.
As it has been the case through the season, batters had a tough time on a two paced surface.
LSG made a questionable call to leave out their leading run getter of the season, Kyle Myers, and the move did not work. Replacing him at the top, Deepak Hooda (5) was undone by a slower ball from Jason Behrendorff
The next ball from the left-arm pacer was angled away and Prerak Mankad got a faint touch on way to the wicketkeeper while trying to run towards the third man.
The situation got worse for LSG when Quinton de Kock (16 off 15) fell in the seventh over to leave the home team reeling in the seventh over.
De Kock went for the drive off a googly from the wily Piyush Chawla but ended up getting caught behind.
The onus was on the big-hitting Stoinis and Krunal to resurrect the innings and they did that with a gritty stand before the latter got retired hurt after being seen in a bit of discomfort in the 16th over.
After that it was all Stoinis, who began his innings with massive sixes off spinners Hrithik Shokeen and Chawla in successive overs.
Stroke making was tough in the prevailing conditions but Stoinis used his brute force to get the much needed boundaries and sixes.
The 18th over bowled by Jordan yielded 24 runs with the England pacer spraying it all over the place. He failed to nail his yorker and Stoinis was quick to dispatch his two balls for massive sixes down the ground besides collecting three fours off the short balls.
He finished the innings with a one-handed six off Akash Madhwal.
Mumbai leaked 54 runs in the last three overs.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rahul's exhilarating 152 powers DC to 264/2
New Delhi (PTI): KL Rahul blended grace with power to script a stroke-filled 152, the third-highest individual IPL score, while Nitish Rana (91) batted with authority as the duo powered hosts Delhi Capitals to a mammoth 264 for 2 against Punjab Kings here on Saturday.
Setting a target for the first time this season, the Capitals came out with clear intent, attacking anything in their arc from the outset.
The home team hit a total of 29 fours and 13 sixes to put on board the highest total of the 2026 IPL season.
Striking at over 200 throughout the 20 overs, Rahul (152 off 67 balls) unfurled a range of classical strokes all around the ground, seamlessly combining timing with aggression to put up the highest-score ever by an Indian in the IPL.
With the knock, he also became only the third player to go beyond 150-run mark after Chris Gayle (175) and Brendon McCullum (158).
Dropped on 18 by Shashank Singh, he made full use of the reprieve, forging a 220-run stand with local boy Rana for the second wicket. It was second biggest stand in IPL history behind 229 set by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Rana looked completely at ease on his home ground. His 44-ball knock, laced with 11 fours and 4 sixes, provided the perfect foil as the duo kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.
Rahul set the tone early, striking back-to-back boundaries in the second over before Pathum Nissanka chipped in with a crisp four.
Although Punjab struck an early blow with Nissanka top-edging to the keeper, their bowlers found little respite thereafter. They were also guilty of a few misfields, which only added to their woes.
Rahul and Rana seized control, punishing anything loose and propelling Delhi to 68 for one, DC's best powerplay score of the season before plundering 145 runs in the middle overs.
Rana then shifted gears in spectacular fashion, taking apart Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett in the 12th over for 28 runs.
The left-hander dealt exclusively in boundaries, smashing two sixes and four fours in a sequence of 6,4,4,4,4,6.
At the other end, Rahul was equally ruthless, taking a liking to Vijaykumar Vyshak in the 16th over, from which he plundered three sixes and a four, as Delhi tightened their grip on the contest.
