GT messed up on a golden opportunity to seal a top two spot in the league table.© BCCI
Gujarat Titans messed up on a golden opportunity to seal a top two spot in the league table as Lucknow Super Giants earned a consolation 33-run victory riding on Mitchell Marsh’s maiden hundred in the Indian Premier League on Thursday. Batting first, Marsh’s brilliant 117 off 64 balls took LSG to 235 for 2 after stipulated 20 overs. The total was commanding and LSG did well enough to keep the home team at bay, restricting them to 202 for 9 in 20 overs. New Zealander Will O’Rourke, who has come in as Mayank Yadav’s replacement, was the pick of the bowlers for LSG with figures of 3 for 27.
GT remained top with 18 points from 13 matches, while the already eliminated LSG moved to sixth from seventh. They have 12 points from 13 matches.
Shahrukh Khan (57 off 29 balls) did give LSG a scare with some lusty blows but that was never going to be enough in the end despite a riveting 86-run stand with Sherfane Rutherford for the fourth wicket in just 6.4 overs.
GT, who have already qualified for the playoffs, could have taken a giant leap towards top two finish by ensuring 20 points. They will now try to win the last match and give themselves the best chance to finish in top two of the league table with both Pujab Kings and RCB also having a fair shot at the pole position. The chase of 236 started in earnest with B Sai Sudharsan (21 off 16 balls) and skipper Shubman Gill (35 off 20 balls) starting the innings with some crisp boundaries.
However, the league’s current top run accumulator, Sudharsan couldn’t convert the start and Gill despite his short arm pulls was also snapped brilliantly by Abdul Samad.
It was Jos Buttler (33 off 18 balls) who hit a couple of sixes but left-arm fast bowler Akash Singh, who split the webbing of his right hand, took pace off a floating delivery that breached the Englishman’s defence.
At this point that Shahrukh and Rutherford (38) joined forces and the target that looked improbable till then suddenly started looking
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