It was a clash between two IPL debutant teams—Gujarat Titans (GT) versus Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Considering the dew factor would play a major role in the latter half of the game, GT captain Hardik Pandya put LSG in to bat and KL Rahul & Co managed to post 158-6 after an early collapse. Though GT’s India pacer Mohammed Shami (3-25) did some damage, Deepak Hooda (55 off 41 balls, 6×4, 2×6) and young Ayush Badoni (54 off 41 balls 4×4, 3×6) rescued Lucknow to set a decent total.
Hardik scores
At the time of going to press, Gujarat Titans were 46-2, after seven overs with Hardik Pandya not out on 20 and Matthew Wade unbeaten on 15, needing another 113 to win off 13 overs. Earlier, Gujarat bowlers enjoyed a great start as India pacer Shami (3-25) sent back LSG opener Rahul (0) off the very first ball of the game. Rahul’s attempt to play a defensive shot off a fuller length delivery failed and he edged it to wicketkeeper Mathew Wade. Shami did the trick again in his second over when he disturbed opener Quinton de Kock’s (7) furniture as the ball went through the left-hander’s bat and pad. Shami didn’t disappoint his skipper in his third and the innings’ fifth over too as Manish Pandey (6) had no answer and was clean bowled. Like De Kock, one-drop Evin Lewis (10 off nine balls) also had a good amount of experience of the Wankhede track as both represented Mumbai Indians earlier.
Deepak Hooda of Lucknow Super Giants during his 41-ball 55
Lewis succumbs
But Lewis succumbed to pressure and lost his cool while playing a pull shot off pacer Varun Aaron (1-36) for Shubman Gill to take a splendid catch at mid-wicket. Shami’s first spell of 3-0-10-3 dominated the proceedings in the Powerplay as Lucknow lost their top four batsmen for just 29. However, pacer Hardik, who replaced Shami in the seventh over, proved costly (0-37) as he conceded 19 runs in his fourth over in which Badoni hit him for a six and twice to the fence.
After 10 overs LSG were struggling at 47-4. However Hooda and Badoni, who had scored a 28-ball 52 not out against Sri Lanka in 2018 U-19 Asia Cup final at Mirpur, combined well, putting on an 87-run stand in 68 balls. Badoni, who took his time to build his innings later accelerated and got his 50 in a style, dispatching pacer Lockie Ferguson (0-24) over mid-wicket into the Vijay Merchant Pavilion.
Brief scores
LSG 158-6 in 20 overs (D Hooda 55, A Badoni 54; M Shami 3-25, V Aaron 2-45) v GT (scores incomplete)
