Josh Inglis delivered one of the most explosive batting performances of the current Indian Premier League season for the Lucknow Super Giants, yet the match ended in familiar disappointment for the bottom-placed side. Despite the Australian’s heroics, Lucknow succumbed to their seventh defeat in eight matches as the Chennai Super Kings chased down a target of 204 in the final over.
Inglis shines in losing effort
In just his second appearance of the campaign, Inglis showcased his full range of unconventional strokes. The right-hander hammered 10 fours and six sixes, utilizing a variety of scoops and ramps to clear the boundaries at Chepauk Stadium. His maiden half-century for the Justin Langer-coached franchise arrived in just 17 deliveries, far outstripping the contribution of his opening partner and national captain, Mitch Marsh, who departed early for 10.
Inglis looked set for a century before he attempted one scoop too many, eventually falling to England seamer Jamie Overton for 85 off 33 balls. While his innings provided the highlight of the Lucknow total, which reached 8-203, the side struggled to contain Chennai’s reply, particularly with Overton proving to be a match-turning influence with his figures of 3-36.
Urvil Patel equals league record
Chennai’s response was headlined by an extraordinary display from Urvil Patel. Batting at number three, Patel hit the ground running with an aggressive onslaught that saw him reach his fifty in just 13 balls. This feat equalled the IPL record for the fastest half-century previously set by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Chennai captain Rishabh Pant later lauded Patel’s performance, describing it as “fantastic and unbelievable” and drawing comparisons to the impact Inglis had earlier in the game. Although Patel eventually fell for 65 from 23 balls, the momentum remained with Chennai. With the match poised on a knife-edge, Shivam Dube provided the finishing touch in the final over, striking two sixes off the first two deliveries to secure the required 11 runs.
Bengaluru claims last-gasp victory
In the day’s later fixture held at Raipur, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a narrow two-wicket victory on the final ball to climb to the top of the league table. The result officially knocked the five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians, out of contention for the playoffs.
Mumbai, asked to bowl first, were restricted to 7-166, with Josh Hazlewood taking 1-33 for Bengaluru. Despite an imposing bowling display from Mumbai’s Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded only three runs in a critical penultimate over, Bengaluru managed to complete the chase. Requiring 15 runs in the final over, the side relied on an unlikely contribution from paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who struck a decisive six over extra cover off the fourth ball of the over to seal the win with only two wickets remaining.
The weekend’s results have tightened the race for the top four positions, as inconsistent form continues to plague the bottom half of the table, while the league leaders look to consolidate their positions ahead of the business end of the tournament.
