Giant strides

Mumbai, May 1

Unheralded Uttar Pradesh left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan put up an exceptional bowling performance as Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by six runs in an IPL match here today.

It was skipper KL Rahul’s 77 off 51 balls and newly-promoted Deepak Hooda’s 52 off 34 balls that propelled LSG to an imposing 195/3 despite stuttering towards the end of the innings.

In reply, Mohsin (4/16 in 4 overs) got breakthroughs exactly when things seemed to spiral out of control as Delhi Capitals managed 189/7 in the end.

LSG now have 14 points from 10 games and another win out of the remaining four games would likely seal a playoff spot.

DC have eight points from nine games. They might have to win four out of their remaining five games. It looks to be an uphill task with this bowling attack which has been defensive on most occasions.

Rishabh Pant (42 off 24 balls), Axar Patel (42 not out off 24 balls), Mitchell Marsh (37 off 20 balls) and Rovman Powell (35 off 21 balls) could not score big despite getting good starts.

Mohsin produced disconcerting bounce bowling back of the length and occasionally slipped in a delivery in the block-hole. His victims included big hitters David Warner (3), Pant and Powell.

Earlier, Rahul once again anchored the innings with a well-crafted 77 in company of an imperious Hooda. Rahul and Hooda added 95 runs for the second wicket. They nullified the DC spin threat of Kuldeep Yadav (0/29 in 3 overs), Lalit Yadav (0/16 in 1 over) and Axar (0/25 in 4 overs).

While Rahul hit four fours and five sixes, Hooda had six fours and a huge six over deep mid-wicket in his third half-century of the season. Thakur (3/40 in 4 overs) had best figures for DC, but he didn’t actually pose any threat to the batters. — PTI

Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants: 195/3 (Rahul 71, Hooda 52; Thakur 3/40); Delhi Capitals: 189/7 (Pant 44, Marsh 37; Mohsin 4/16)

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