The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) won third game on the trot in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after registering a victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) by 6 runs on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. 

A captain’s knock of 77(51) from KL Rahul and a four-wicket haul from Mohsin Khan sealed a final-over victory for LSG.

Chasing a competitive target of 196, DC lost Prithvi Shaw’s wicket early in the innings after the opener was caught at mid-on. 

DC openers were back in the hut after David Warner was caught by Badoni at mid-wicket. The pressure of early wickets didn’t affect DC after skipper Pant and Mitchell Marsh took LSG bowling attack to the cleaners. 

DC were 66-2 at the end of powerplay and Marsh was on the move with three clean sixes. K Gowtham dismissed the dangerous Marsh after the batter was caught behind in the 8^th over. 

Ravi Bishnoi deceived Lalit Yadav with a googly to scalp his first wicket. Skipper Pant was dealing in boundaries and DC were 94-4 at the half-way mark. 

Pant got a reprieve in the 11^th over before Rovman Powell hammered two sixes and a four off Gowtham’s bowling. 

Mohsin Khan pushed things back in LSG’s favour after the left-arm seamer knocked the stumps of the DC skipper. He further claimed two more wickets in the 17^th over to dismiss the dangerous Powell followed by Shardul Thakur. 

Axar Patel brought DC closer with a four and six each as they required 21 off the final over. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel added a six each but DC fell 7 runs short of the target.

Earlier, LSG, who opted to bat first, made one change – K Gowtham replaced Avesh Khan in the eleven. 

LSG openers – KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock made a solid start with the bat and LSG were 41/0 in the fourth over as both batters crunched a six each. 

Shardul Thakur broke the partnership after Lalit Yadav completed the catch at backward point. LSG were 57-1 at the end of the powerplay. 

Rahul switched to attacking mode and creamed two fours against Kuldeep Yadav. Hooda equally mounted pressure from the other end as the fifty partnership was up for the duo.

LSG sailed past 100 in the 11^th over. Skipper KL Rahul added one more effortless six and notched his half-century in the 13^th over. 

Hooda crossed his fifty but was soon dismissed after Thakur took a catch off his own bowling. New batter Marcus Stoinis struck two fours and LSG were 145-2 after 15 overs. 

Mustafizur Rahman conceded only 8 runs in the 17^th over. Rahul crunched another six in the next over before Lalit Yadav took an excellent catch in the deep off Thakur’s bowling. 

LSG finished the innings with a total of 195-3 after Stoinis smoked a six over long-on.   

Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 195/3 (KL Rahul 77, Deepak Hooda 52; Shardul Thakur 3-40) beat Delhi Capitals 189/7 (Rishabh Pant 44, Axar Patel 42*; Mohsin Khan 4-16) by 6 runs.