Lucknow Super Giants stunned Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 clash at Lucknow on Friday, taking control of the chase with Mitchell Marsh’s ruthless 90 and Nicholas Pooran’s late finish. Chasing 188, Marsh struck 90 off only 38 balls and powered a massive 135-run opening stand with Josh Inglis, leaving LSG in command from the outset. Although Chennai had brief moments of pressure, Pooran’s brutal hitting—featuring four straight sixes off Anshul Kamboj—ended the contest in the 17th over as Lucknow reached the target with 20 balls to spare.
Key takeaways
- LSG chased down 188 with seven wickets in hand, completing the job in 16.4 overs.
- Mitchell Marsh made 90 off 38 balls and shared a 135-run opening partnership with Josh Inglis.
- Nicholas Pooran turned the match decisively with four consecutive sixes off Anshul Kamboj to finish in the 17th over.
- At the halfway mark, CSK posted 187 for five, with Kartik Sharma’s 71 driving most of the momentum.
- Anshul Kamboj conceded eight sixes in the chase, equalling the IPL record for most sixes surrendered by a bowler in a single innings.
Marsh and Inglis set the chase up for Lucknow
When Lucknow went in after the target, Marsh attacked from the first over and repeatedly found the boundary. His most damaging spell came against Anshul Kamboj, whom he treated harshly—smashing 28 runs in a single over as LSG piled up 86 in the powerplay.
Marsh kept striking cleanly and reached 90 in just 38 deliveries, giving Lucknow a strong platform. Chennai did claw back briefly when they pulled things back with three wickets for nine runs, including the departure of both openers, but the damage had already been done and the chase remained firmly tilted towards LSG.
Pooran, though, ensured Chennai’s recovery didn’t have a second chance. After a slow start compared to the pace of the earlier LSG innings, the left-hander turned the game on its head by smashing four consecutive sixes off Kamboj. Those hits sealed the match in the 17th over itself.
Pooran’s finish after CSK’s 187 for five
Earlier, Chennai looked competitive after a shaky beginning, thanks largely to Kartik Sharma’s innings of 71. Lucknow’s bowlers kept CSK under pressure with disciplined, hard-length deliveries, reducing the side to 52 for three in 7.2 overs.
Kartik and Dewald Brevis then steadied the innings with a 70-run fourth-wicket stand. Kartik appeared uneasy against short balls that rose around chest and chin height, but once he settled, he began counterattacking. He started with a six off Shahbaz Ahmed, followed it up with another maximum and then two more boundaries in quick succession to shift momentum back towards CSK.
He reached his fifty off 35 balls by hitting Mohammed Shami for a six. Shami later removed Brevis with a short ball, with Akash Singh taking the catch. Kartik fell soon afterwards as well—he lofted Shahbaz Ahmed straight to Aiden Markram at long-on after making 71 off 42 deliveries.
With the innings nearing its end, Shivam Dube added the late thrust, smashing 32 off 16 balls. His effort included big hitting in the final over bowled by Prince Yadav, which went for 23 runs, helping CSK post 187 for five.
Despite CSK’s total looking solid at the halfway stage, Lucknow’s aggressive pursuit made the target feel far smaller, and they wrapped up the chase with 20 balls remaining.
Match stats snapshot
- Chennai Super Kings: 187/5 in 20 overs (Kartik Sharma 71, Shivam Dube 32*; Akash Singh 3/26)
- Lucknow Super Giants: 188/3 in 16.4 overs (Mitchell Marsh 90; Mukesh Choudhary 1/24)
