The Indian Premier League (IPL) saw the end of the road for two more teams. Last night, in a match held at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants defeated Mumbai Indians by 18 runs, thus bowing out of the tournament with pride. In contrast, Mumbai Indians, accustomed to losing, exited the tournament in disgrace, finishing at the bottom.
Lucknow batted first, scoring 214 runs thanks to a blistering innings by Nicholas Pooran. Mumbai, chasing a daunting target of 215, managed only 196 runs in 20 overs, losing six wickets. Despite Rohit Sharma’s explosive 68 (38 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes) and Naman Dheer’s 62 (28 balls, 4 fours, 5 sixes), other batters failed to deliver. Suryakumar Yadav got out for a duck, and captain Hardik Pandya (16) once again disappointed. David Brevis scored 23, and Ishan Kishan managed 14 runs. For Lucknow, Naveen-ul-Haq and Ravi Bishnoi each took two wickets.
Earlier, 'Player of the Match' Pooran created a run tsunami, scoring 75 runs off 29 balls with 5 fours and 8 sixes, helping his team reach a massive total. Captain KL Rahul scored 55, Stoinis added 28, Ayush Badoni 22*, and Krunal Pandya 12*. Lucknow posted 214/6 in their 20 overs. Mumbai bowlers Tushara and Chawla took three wickets each.
With this match, both teams' journeys ended. Mumbai won only four out of 14 matches, while Lucknow secured victories in seven. In today’s IPL clash, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK). If CSK wins, they directly qualify for the playoffs. Even if they lose, their superior net run rate gives them a good chance. For RCB to make it to the playoffs, they need a massive victory.
