Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders played against each other in match number 66 of IPL 2022.
It was the first time in IPL that these two teams were going to compete against each other. After losing their last match against Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow will be looking for a win and a spot in the playoffs. Whereas after consecutively winning their previous two Matches Kolkata win be looking for their third win and a place in the top 4.
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bat first and put up a high score. The openers were looking in splendid form, especially Quinton De Kock. Knight Riders dropped the catch of the man looking in form Quinton in the second over itself. This dropped catch costed them the match.
Kl Rahul and Quinton De Kock were looking strong together as Rahul also achieved his personal 500 runs in IPL 2022. Soon Quinton completed his half-century, repeatedly the third half-century in front of Knight Riders. As De Kock was constantly hitting massive shots from one end and on other hand, Rahul also completed his fifty runs. With the mesmerizing sixes, Quinton completed a milestone of 100 sixes in IPL.
After completing his century, he hit three back-to-back sixes in Tim Southee’s over, and in total, there were four sixes in that big over for the Super Giants. Then in the last over, he hit four back-to-back fours to Andre Russell.
Quinton smashed ten fours and sixes in his dream innings of 140 not-out runs together with the help of KL Rahul, both took their team to a total of 210 runs without losing any wickets.
Tan tana tan Quinton maara! 💯 Player of the match and our hearts tonight 💙🔥 @QuinnyDeKock69 #AbApniBaariHai💪 #IPL2022 🏆 #bhaukaalmachadenge #LSG #LucknowSuperGiants #T20 #TataIPL #Lucknow #UttarPradesh #lsg2022 pic.twitter.com/gEk06GBQyh
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 18, 2022
Now it was time for the Knight Riders to achieve the total. In the first over Giants missed a chance to catch out and run out of the same bowl but on the next ball, Quinton took an amazing catch and gave Kolkata their first breakthrough. Kolkata was trying to achieve some runs but soon lost their second wicket as well.
Nitish Rana was looking good as he smashed five fours against Avesh Khan. The partnership of Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer was going well the fifty runs partnership gave hope to the Knight Riders team soon they lost their third wicket in the form of Nitish Rana.
After Rana lost his wicket, Shreyas Iyer and Sam Billings took the charge as even Billing was dealing in boundaries, and in a little while, Iyer completed his half-century and a partnership of 66 runs with Billings. At the very next moment, Iyer lost his wicket, and then there was a frequent fall of wickets.
Everyone lost their hope, but for KKR fans, the magnificent knock of 21 runs in just seven balls by Sunil Narine and 40 runs in just 15 balls by Rinku Singh reignited the doused hope.
In the last over, KKR needed 21 runs to win the match. Rinku Singh knocked two back-to-back sixes and brought his team to near-victory, but he lost his wicket.
As in the last ball, Marcus Stoinis clean bowled Umesh Yadav.Mohsin Khan and Marcus Stoinis took three wickets each.
In the end, Kolkata Knight Riders fought hard but lost the match by two runs. And by the win, Lucknow Super Giants qualified for the Playoffs. Quinton De Kock was chosen as the Match Of The Match for his amazing knock of 140 runs.