de Kock, Krunal star in Lucknow’s 21-run win over Punjab Kings
On the back of two sixes and four boundaries, Krunal then scored at a strike rate of 200 to finish on a 22-ball 43 and give his side extra cushion.
Quinton de Kock
LUCKNOW: Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya powered Lucknow Super Giants to a 21-run win over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League match here on Saturday. Set to chase 200, Punjab could manage only 178 for five as captain Shikhar Dhawan’s valiant knock of 70 (50b, 7x4, 3x6) went in vain.
Earlier, Pandya’s late blitz powered Lucknow to a competitive 199/8. Asked to bat first, opener Quinton de Kock top-scored for LSG with a 38-ball 54 but it was stand-in skipper Nicholas Pooran’s 21-ball 42, which infused life into his team’s innings in the middle overs.
On the back of two sixes and four boundaries, Krunal then scored at a strike rate of 200 to finish on a 22-ball 43 and give his side extra cushion.
De Kock got the LSG innings under way with a splendid drive through mid-off for a boundary.
Playing the game as ‘impact player’ having handed over the leadership responsibility to Pooran, KL Rahul didn’t look convincing as he tried to flick Kagiso Rabada behind square on the leg-side.
Running in from a long way, a diving Harshal Patel made a valiant attempt to latch on to the ball but Rahul was lucky as the fielder could not pull off what would have been a blinder.
At the other end, De Kock was in his element as he flayed Rabada over point for a four in the first delivery he faced from the South African speedster.
Next ball de Kock did one better, as he opened the face of the bat to whack Rabada over the backward point boundary for a six.
Rahul drove Arshdeep Singh down the ground for a maximum, and then, smashed another delivery in a similar fashion, but that fetched him a four.
Arshdeep, however, exacted his revenge when the left-arm seamer had the LSG batter caught by Jonny Bairstow at backward point for a nine-ball 15.
Devdutt Padikkal got himself two boundaries before being dismissed by Sam Curran.
Marcus Stoinis (19) hit two sixes before being bowled by Rahul Chahar as he looked to hoick the spinner on the on-side.
That brought Pooran into the middle and the West Indian quickly got into the groove, hitting Chahar for two sixes and a four for a 20-run over, which gave LSG’s run rate a much-needed impetus.
BRIEF SCORES: Lucknow Super Giants 199/8 in 20 overs (Q de Kock 54, K Pandya 43 not out, N Pooran 42, S Curran 3/28) bt Punjab Kings 178/5 in 20 overs (S Dhawan 70, J Bairstow 42, M Yadav 3/27)
