Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024: Match Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports

Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024: Match Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports

Match 54 of the Indian Premier League, 2024, will be played between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders (LSG vs KKR) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Sunday. Lucknow Super Giants have played 10 matches and are ranked third on the points table with 12 points. Kolkata Knight Riders have also played 10 matches and are ranked second on the points table with 14 points. Pitch Report and Weather Conditions The pitch at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, will allow for good stroke play and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. The surface will not allow a lot of assistance to the bowlers and wicket-taking is going to be difficult. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 139 runs. The pitch is a sporting one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers on offer. Depending on the ground conditions, the team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl. Pace or Spin? The venue is suited for both pacers and spinners alike. Weather Report The temperature will hover around 37 degree C and humidity is expected to be around 10%. Winds at a speed of 4.68 m/s are expected. Head-to-Head In the four matches played between these two teams, Kolkata Knight Riders do not have a good record against Lucknow Super Giants. Based on our analysis and trends, we predict that Lucknow Super Giants will win this match. Kolkata Knight Riders’ batters have earned the most fantasy points for their team, while the wicket-keepers have earned the most fantasy points for Lucknow Super Giants. In their previous encounter in this series, Phil Salt was the Man of the Match while Nicholas Pooran scored the highest fantasy points for Lucknow Super Giants with 65 fantasy points. Phil Salt topped the fantasy points leaderboard for Kolkata Knight Riders with 143 fantasy points. Fantasy Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks Sunil Narine Sunil Narine is an all-rounder with an average of 101 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.6 and is a differential player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 380 runs at an average of 38 per match. Narine is also a handy bowler, bowling off-break and in recent matches, he has taken 13 wickets, averaging 20.7 per match. KL Rahul KL Rahul is a wicket-keeper with an average of 68 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.5 and is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, right-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the recent 10 matches, he has scored 406 runs at an average of 40.1 per match. Philip Salt Phil Salt is a wicket-keeper with an average of 68 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.9 and can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. Salt is a top-order, right-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 397 runs averaging 44.1 per match. Andre Russell Andre Russell can be a good safe pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.7. He is a right-handed batter. In the recent 10 matches, he has scored 186 runs at an average of 37.2 per match. Russell can also give you some bowling fantasy points, bowling right-arm fast and in recent matches, he has taken 11 wickets at an average of 19.1 per match. Marcus Stoinis Marcus Stoinis is an all-rounder with an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.6 and is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. Stoinis is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 316 runs at an average of 39.5 per match. He is also a handy bowler, bowling right-arm medium and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets, averaging 24.3 per match. Mohsin Khan Mohsin Khan is a bowler with an average of 46 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.6 and can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. He is a left-arm medium-fast bowler and in the recently played seven matches, he has taken nine wickets at an average of 31.4. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer is a batter with an average of 45 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.6 and is a very consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, Iyer has scored 257 runs averaging 36.7 per match. Mayank Yadav Mayank Yadav is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He has an average of 43 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. He is a right-arm, medium-fast bowler and in the recently played four matches, Yadav has taken seven wickets at an average of 12.1. Mitchell Starc Mitchell Starc can be a punt pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 37 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.7. He bowls left-arm fast and has taken 11 wickets at an average of 33 in the last nine matches. Fantasy Team Wicket-Keepers: KL Rahul and Phil Salt Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran and Rinku Singh All-Rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Yash Thakur and Mohsin Khan Captain: Sunil Narine Vice-Captain: Marcus Stoinis Topics mentioned in this article

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Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - IPL 2024

Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – IPL 2024

Get to Know Who will win Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : May 05, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:30 IST / 14:00 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 :Ekana Cricket Stadium – Lucknow, India𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : IPL 2024 Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders Betting Tips KL Rahul has scored over 400 runs in this tournament and the skipper is our pick for Lucknow Super Giants’ highest run scorer in this game. Yash Thakur has taken ten wickets in the 2024 IPL and the pace bowler is well worth backing as Lucknow Super Giants’ top wicket taker against KKR.Phil Salt is averaging 44.11 in this competition and the English opener is our tip for KKR’s highest run scorer against Lucknow Super Giants. Mitchell Starc has endured a tough campaign but took 4/33 on Friday and the Australian is a strong choice for KKR’s top wicket taker in this match.With his confidence likely to be sky-high ahead of this game, we recommend selecting Mitchell Starc to take over 1.5 wickets in this fixture. Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders T20 Match Prediction & Betting Tips, IPL 2024 Lucknow Super Giants take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 54 of the 2024 Indian Premier League on Sunday evening. Lucknow have won six games this season and begin this fixture just two points behind KKR who occupy second place. Read on as we preview this match. The game gets underway at 19:30 local time at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium on May 5th. After losing to Rajasthan Royals in Match 44, Lucknow Super Giants got back to winning ways against Mumbai Indians in their last match and they come into this game in strong form. However, they are up against one of the best sides in this IPL so far. Kolkata Knight Riders won a rollercoaster of a contest in their last game which saw them deep in trouble on 57/5 before recovering to post 169 and then winning the match. They will need to be stronger with the bat in this match but their bowlers were brilliant in Friday’s victory. Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders Match Toss PredictionThis will be the 14th IPL match to be played at this venue and so far teams batting first have won six as have teams fielding first. With the temperature expected to drop by five degrees from the first innings to the second innings, we predict that both captains will want to bat first. Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders Pitch ReportThe surface in Lucknow is often a little bit two-paced which means that high scores are the exception. The last game saw 289 runs in total and we expect a first innings par total to be no higher than 160-165. Lucknow Weather ReportIt will be very hot at the beginning of this game with the temperature likely to be up in the high thirties. And by the end of the match, the forecast is for the temperature to be no lower than 33. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Indian Premier League 2024

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IPL 2024: Guarded Lucknow Super Giants look to subdue dominant Kolkata Knight Riders | Cricket News

IPL 2024: Guarded Lucknow Super Giants look to subdue dominant Kolkata Knight Riders | Cricket News

Coach Langer confirms Mayank unlikely to play in rest of seasonLUCKNOW: Playing their last match on home turf, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will have to give it their best shot to edge past Kolkata Knight Riders at the Ekana cricket stadium on Sunday. KKR are a step away from a berth in the Playoffs with 14 spots.IPL ORANGE CAP | IPL PURPLE CAP | IPL POINTS TABLEIn their previous match against Mumbai Indians, LSG were far from convincing as they had to toil hard to chase the modest 145-run target.On the batting side, LSG skipper KL Rahul is in form up the order and has played some fine knocks, smashing fifties against Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.Allrounder Marcus Stoinis also played well against MI, scoring 62 runs, and had also played a spectacular match-winning innings against CSK. Deepak Hooda has also played some decent knocks. Wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran has not been able to make his mark in the last 2-3 matches and it is time for him to put his best foot forward. Top-order batter Quinton de Kock missed the last match against MI and he was back early to the pavilion against Rajasthan Royals. On the bowling side, LSG’s bowlers will also face a harsh test with none of them making a real dent with individual brilliance. In the last match, Mohsin Khan, Marcus Stoinis, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mayank Yadav did well against MI. LSG will now have to go without pace sensation Mayank, who had walked out of the last match against MI due to his side strain acting up.Mayank is unlikely to play in the remainder of the IPL. LSG head coach Justin Langer said, “We’ll be praying that he can play hopefully in the play-offs but I am a realist as well. It will probably be difficult for him to get up for the back end of the tournament. He’s (Mayank) had a scan. He’s got a small tear in a similar area to where his last one (injury) was. So, it’s very unfortunate. We saw the impact he had when he came back into the game.” As for KKR, their bowlers were in excellent form against MI on Friday. All the bowlers, especially spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine.

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‘Mumbai Indians' baffling decisions gave KKR the upper hand: Shane Watson slams Hardik Pandya's captaincy

‘Mumbai Indians’ baffling decisions gave KKR the upper hand: Shane Watson slams Hardik Pandya’s captaincy

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time in 12 years on Friday. Despite the lopsided 9-1 head-to-head record at the venue in favour of the hosts, KKR were the firm favourites going into the encounter on current form. KKR and MI sat on opposite ends of the IPL 2024 points table before the match started and it remained the same after the match ended. But in between, there was a lot of drama. It wasn’t as it was as the 24-run victory may seem like. In fact, for the better part of the KKR innings, it seemed like MI would maintain their spotless track record by returning to winning ways against the Purple army. Kolkata Knight Riders’ players celebrate after their team’s win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match vs Mumbai Indians(AFP) KKR were 57/5 at one stage, really struggling to come to terms with the unusually slow Wankhede Pitch. That is when the KKR think tank used the Impact Player rule to the maximum effect. Manish Pandey came in place of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who had already been dismissed. The experienced right-hander, playing in his first game of the season, stitched an all-important 83-run stand for the sixth wicket with Venkatesh Iyer to bring the KKR innings back on track. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Pandey was dismissed for 42 off 31 balls, but Iyer made sure KKR were poised to cross the 180-run mark quite comfortably. But they suffered another collapse when things were looking all uphill for the two-time champions. Andre Russell was run out due to a horrible mixup with Iyer and KKR folded for 169 in 19.5 overs. Iyer scored 70 off 52 balls. But the position that KKR were in, 169, was not bad by any means. In fact, it proved to be 24 runs too many for MI as the hosts were bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs. Former Australian cricketer asserted that the Knight Riders had no right to win the match after losing the first five wickets so early in the clash against the five-time champion MI. Watson said he was baffled by some of MI’s tactics. Watson bowled over by KKR’s remarkable comeback against MI “KKR had no right to win that game tonight after the position they were in five wickets down. It just shows the fight that they have and also just some of the things that happened. Some of the decisions that were made whether that was bowling changes or batting lineup deployment, some of those decisions were very baffling just to really give KKR the upper hand in a game that was just on a knife’s edge at certain times,” Watson said on Jio Cinema. The 42-year-old further stated that this victory will give the Shreyas Iyer-led side a lot of confidence. “Look that will give KKR so much confidence to know that they don’t have to be at their very best and be in a position where the game was nearly done and they’ve got the fight and determination to find their way to actually get on the right side of the result,” the two-time IPL champion added. Mitchell Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 spells, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match. Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. Meanwhile, MI hold ninth place with 6 points by their name. KKR will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.

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How Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians Can Still Qualify For IPL 2024 Playoffs

How Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians Can Still Qualify For IPL 2024 Playoffs

In the ongoing IPL, Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) stand in ninth place with six points and a net run rate of -0356 after winning just 3 of 11 matches in the tournament. After displaying a poor performance in the 17th season of the tournament, MI’s chance to finish the league in the top three has ended, but still, they can qualify for the playoffs. On Friday, the Mumbai-based franchise suffered a 24-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium. Currently, Pandya’s side have six points after playing 11 matches and need to win their upcoming three matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Lucknow Super Giants to bag six points from these games. 12 points after playing 14 matches will be enough for them to qualify for the playoffs only if the results of other franchises go in MI’s favour. MI can’t end their IPL 2024 run above Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the standings since they already have 16 and 14 points respectively after playing 10 matches. While the Mumbai-based franchise will remain below Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since they have already bagged 12 points. So, they can only finish in the fourth place only if LSG concede defeat in their remaining four matches against KKR, SRH, Delhi Capitals (DC), and MI. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya’s side will also keep an eye on Chennai Super Kings (CSK), DC, Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and hope that they don’t cross the 12-point mark and have a lower net run rate in IPL 2024. Recapping the match between MI and KKR, Mumbai put Kolkata to bat first, a solid partnership stand of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) guided KKR to 169. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah returned with a double-wicket over before returning with a spell of 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs. In reply, MI were bundled out for 145. Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 spells, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match. Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. While MI hold ninth place with 6 points. MI will take on SRH in their forthcoming match on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

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Hardik Pandya Has "Lot Of Questions" With MI All But Out Of IPL, Puts Blame On...

Hardik Pandya’s Decisions ‘Baffling, KKR Had No Right To Win’: Ex-IPL Champion Shreds MI’s Dismal Show

After the clash between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, Australia’s World Cup-winner allrounder Shane Watson said that the Kolkata-based franchise didn’t deserve to win the match as they lost the first five wickets very quickly. Riding on an 83-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer-Manish Pandey followed by Mitchell Starc’s pure pace magic KKR registered a 24-run victory against MI at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. Starc made an extraordinary comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33. The Knight Riders ended their 12-year wait for a victory at the Wankhede stadium with a 24-run win to edge closer to the playoff spots. Former Australian cricketer asserted that the Knight Riders had no right to win the match after losing the first five wickets so early in the clash against the five-time champion MI. “KKR had no right to win that game tonight after the position they were in five wickets down. It just shows the fight that they have and also just some of the things that happened. Some of the decisions that were made whether that was bowling changes or batting lineup deployment, some of those decisions were very baffling just to really give KKR the upper hand in a game that was just on a knife’s edge at certain times,” Watson, a former IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings, said on Jio Cinema. The 42-year-old further stated that this victory will give the Shreyas Iyer-led side a lot of confidence. “Look that will give KKR so much confidence to know that they don’t have to be at their very best and be in a position where the game was nearly done and they’ve got the fight and determination to find their way to actually get on the right side of the result,” the two-time IPL champion added. Coming to the match, put to bat first, a solid partnership stand of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) guided KKR to 169. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers at 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs with two wickets in one over. In reply, MI were bundled out for 145. Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 spells, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match. Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. Meanwhile, MI hold ninth place with 6 points by their name. KKR will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday. Topics mentioned in this article

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Gautam Gambhir's tweet after KKR beat MI at Wankhede is all about pain, fighting spirit and redemption

Gautam Gambhir’s tweet after KKR beat MI at Wankhede is all about pain, fighting spirit and redemption

Mitchell Starc let out a roar after knocking down Gerarld Coetzee’s middle stump. It was his third wicket of the over and the fourth of the night overall for the Australian quick but more importantly, it was the last of the Mumbai Indians’ team. Kolkata Knight Riders had finally managed to beat MI at the Wankhede Stadium after 12 long years. No team have a better head-to-head record in the IPL than MI over KKR. You could see what it meant to KKR. Mentor Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar were embracing and shouting in each other’s ears. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan embraces the team mentor Gautam Gambhir(ANI) It was just different emotions. KKR have been one of the teams to beat in this IPL and MI have been just the opposite. But KKR vs MI is one encounter that doesn’t follow form and reputation. It’s just one-way traffic in favour of the five-time champions. That’s why this victory tasted way sweeter for the men in purple. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Starc is in his first season with KKR. Even their captain Shreyas Iyer, who was showing more emotions on the field on Friday than he usually does, has been around the team for three years. They must have heard about MI’s domination of KKR but didn’t quite experience it. For Gambhir, though, it’s different. He was the last KKR captain to beat MI at Wankhede in 2012. The only other KKR member who was part of the team in both of those wins, 12 years apart, is Sunil Narine. The West Indies all-rounder was in fact Player of the Match for his 4/15 in the 2012 match at Wanhede against MI. He once again made a useful contribution with the ball, picking up 2/22 in his four overs. He is not known to be too emotive, so judging the magnitude of KKR’s victory on Friday by looking at Narine’s expressions might not be the best of ideas, but looking at Gambhir sure is. After his emotional embrace with Nayar in the dugout, the KKR mentor was all smiles during the post-match handshakes. The former India opener did not take much longer to let his emotions flow on social media. “Turning the tide after 12 yrs at Wankhede! Beautifully done boys!” he wrote on X. If KKR batters were guilty of not working out their game plan on the go in the first half to be bowled out for just 169 with Venkatesh Iyer contributing 70, Mumbai Indians’ underperforming batters stood no chance on a tricky wicket which demanded both application and patience. They were all-out for 145 in 18.5 overs and are practically out of the competition which has been a nightmare for Hardik Pandya. Despite Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant fifty, Mumbai Indians were shot out for 145 in 18.5 overs chasing 170, found wanting with the bat once again as Mitchell Starc (3.5-0-33-4) cleaned up the tail for KKR’s seventh win in 10 matches.

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Mitchell Starc defends his numbers after his best spell in IPL 2024 – India TV

Mitchell Starc defends his numbers after his best spell in IPL 2024 – India TV

Image Source : BCCI/IPL Mitchell Starc during the MI vs KKR IPL 2024 post-match press conference at Wankhede Stadium on May 3, 2024 Kolkata Knight Riders produced an impressive all-round performance to end Mumbai Indians’ hopes to secure playoff qualification in the IPL 2024 on Friday. Venkatesh Iyer and Mitchell Starc emerged as heroes to help Kolkata further strengthen their second position in the points table with a 24-run win at Wankhede Stadium. Venkatesh Iyer claimed the Player of the Match award for his 70 runs off 52 balls innings but Starc stole the limelight with his late match-winning spell. The Australian pacer gave KKR a breakthrough with Ishan Kishan’s early wicket and then picked three wickets in the penultimate over to bowl out Mumbai on just 145. Starc’s four wickets for 33 figures significantly boosted his concerning numbers in the IPL 2024. Arriving at Eden Gardens with a record price stage of INR 24.75 crore, Starc managed to pick only two wickets in his first four innings but has made a stunning comeback with nine wickets in his last five innings. While answering media questions in the post-match presser, the 34-year-old left-arm pacer admitted that he wanted to impress from the beginning of the tournament but pointed out that he is not the only bowler struggling in the IPL.  “As T20 cricket doesn’t always go the way you want it to go, and of course, I wanted to go a bit better at the start,” Mitchell Starc said after Kolkata’s win over Mumbai on Friday. “But I am not the only bowler going for runs. It is what it is. The fact that we sit second [on the points table] and are building towards the more important games at the back end and are playing some good cricket, hopefully, I can be a part of it too.” Starc also shared his thoughts on the impact substitute rule and how it is not doing any favour to bowlers. Teams have already managed to post 250-plus totals on a record eight times this season and bowlers are getting criticized for their expensive spells.  “The Impact Player rule changes things a fair bit. Everyone gets to bat a lot deeper having a batting and a bowling XI. There’s a lot made of that rule throughout the tournament and there’s been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here. When you have batters and batting allrounders come in at Nos. 8 or 9, it’s a long batting line-up,” Starc added. Starc has now picked 11 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 11.40 in the tournament and will next seen in action against Lucknow Super Ginats at Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 5.  

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'KKR had no right to win...': Former Aussie all-rounder makes bold statement | Cricket News

‘KKR had no right to win…’: Former Aussie all-rounder makes bold statement | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Following the Mumbai Indians’ clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Australian World Cup-winning all-rounder Shane Watson commented that the Kolkata-based franchise did not deserve to win the match due to their initial loss of five wickets in quick succession.KKR secured a 24-run victory against MI at the Wankhede Stadium, powered by an impressive 83-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, complemented by Mitchell Starc‘s outstanding bowling performance, claiming figures of 4-33.This win marked Kolkata Knight Riders’ first victory at the Wankhede Stadium in 12 years, bringing them closer to the playoff spots in the tournament.The former Australian cricketer emphasized that the Knight Riders had little justification for winning the match after losing their first five wickets so quickly in their encounter against the five-time champions MI.“KKR had no right to win that game tonight after the position they were in five wickets down. It just shows the fight that they have and also just some of the things that happened. Some of the decisions that were made whether that was bowling changes or batting lineup deployment, some of those decisions were very baffling just to really give KKR the upper hand in a game that was just on a knife’s edge at certain times,” Watson said on Jio Cinema.The 42-year-old further mentioned that this victory would significantly boost the confidence of the Shreyas Iyer-led side.“Look that will give KKR so much confidence to know that they don’t have to be at their very best and be in a position where the game was nearly done and they’ve got the fight and determination to find their way to actually get on the right side of the result,” the two-time IPL champion added.Coming to the match, put to bat first, a solid partnership stand of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) guided KKR to 169. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers at 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs with two wickets in one over.In reply, MI were bundled out for 145. Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 spells, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match.Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. Meanwhile, MI hold ninth place with 6 points by their name.KKR will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.(With ANI inputs)

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IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians can still qualify for playoffs - Here is how | Cricket News

IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians can still qualify for playoffs – Here is how | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) are currently struggling in the IPL 2024 standings, occupying the ninth position with six points and a net run rate of -0.356 after winning only three out of their eleven matches. Although their chances of finishing in the top three have diminished, they still have an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs.In their recent encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, MI suffered a 24-run defeat.To secure a playoff berth, Pandya’s team must win their remaining three matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), KKR, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), accumulating 12 points from 14 matches.However, their qualification also depends on the results of other teams. MI cannot surpass Rajasthan Royals (RR) and KKR in the standings, as they have already amassed 16 and 14 points respectively after playing 10 matches each. Similarly, they will remain below SRH and LSG, who have already secured 12 points. MI’s only chance of finishing fourth is if LSG loses all their remaining four matches against KKR, SRH, Delhi Capitals (DC), and MI.Furthermore, MI will closely monitor the performance of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), DC, Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), hoping that they do not exceed the 12-point mark and maintain a lower net run rate in IPL 2024.In the match between MI and KKR, Mumbai opted to field first. A strong partnership of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) propelled KKR to a total of 169. Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive spell of 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs, including a double-wicket over, was a highlight for MI. In response, MI were bowled out for 145. Starc made a remarkable comeback, claiming 4 wickets for 33 runs in just 3.5 overs, leading KKR to a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine also contributed with identical figures of 2/22, taking crucial wickets in the first half of the chase, which put KKR in a commanding position.Following their victory, KKR now hold the second position in the IPL 2024 standings with 14 points, while MI remain in ninth place with 6 points. MI’s next match is against SRH on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium.(Inputs from ANI)

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