Chennai Super Kings found the Powerplay testing under the Ekana lights, and their early momentum never quite clicked as they only managed 37 without fully settling in. Yet, the visitors did mount a recovery and posted a total of 187 for the loss of five, a number that looked defendable in the usual rhythm of T20 cricket. Lucknow Super Giants, though, had other plans. Mitchell Marsh turned the contest on its head with a sensational innings of 90 off 38 balls, dismantling the CSK bowling unit and delivering a major blow to Chennai’s qualification hopes. Lucknow sealed a comfortable chase, reaching 188 for three in 16.4 overs to register their second home win of the season, doing the job by seven wickets.
Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 187/5 (20 overs) [Kartik Sharma 71 (42), Shivam Dube 32* (16), Dewald Brevis 25 (16); Akash Singh 3-26] lost to Lucknow Super Giants 188/3 (16.4 overs) [Mitchell Marsh 90 (38), Nicholas Pooran 32* (17); Mukesh Choudhary 1-24] by 7 wickets.
Who won the match? In two words: Mitchell Marsh. He was ruthless from the start, smashing a half-century during the Powerplay off just 21 deliveries. That onslaught meant Lucknow overwhelmed CSK in that opening phase, surging to 86 without losing a wicket after CSK had been trimmed to 37/2. From there, the chase never truly slipped out of the hosts’ control.
Early wickets and “paper” moments The Lucknow innings carried its own storyline of quick wickets and familiar superstition. Raghu Sharma and Urvil Patel had earlier brought out a piece of paper during the contest, and in CSK’s case, Akash Singh decided to return the gesture in his first appearance of the season. Sanju Samson struck three boundaries right away in the first over, but Akash began landing his lengths with precision, repeatedly hitting the good back-of-a-length areas to keep the scoring rate in check. The ball moved—seamed and swung—through the Powerplay, and Akash struck Ruturaj Gaikwad, who sliced one to mid-on. Samson struggled to keep going after that opening burst, then eventually helped the cause by sending another delivery onto leg stump and into the deep square-leg region. On both occasions, Akash revealed the note from his pocket, as if to underline that he knew exactly what he was doing.
After restricting CSK to 37/2 in the first six overs, Akash backed it up by removing Urvil Patel. Urvil went for a short-ball attempt, but the ball was hammered towards deep mid-wicket, and Akash’s four-over spell delivered another crucial breakthrough while keeping the pressure on.
Kartik and Brevis steer CSK’s recovery CSK’s turnaround began when Dewald Brevis walked in at five. His first ball went straight for a six over the point boundary, immediately signalling intent. Mayank Yadav, who repeatedly hit speeds above 145 kph, proved difficult for batters to settle against, but the batting plan was straightforward: focus on the fifth bowler and keep the momentum flowing. Shahbaz Ahmed entered the attack, and Kartik Sharma launched him over mid-wicket in the first over he faced. Brevis then produced a highlight with a no-look six in his second over, lifting the tempo further.
A steady partnership formed even as wickets threatened to disrupt the flow. Kartik showed wide range against the pacers, cashing in on anything offered in his preferred channels. He dispatched Prince Yadav’s short deliveries for two sixes, with the first of those taking CSK beyond 100 in the 13th over. Kartik then struck Mohammed Shami for a massive hit over long-off to bring up his second fifty of the season.
A lull, then Dube goes big Brevis was eventually dismissed by Shami, top-edging a pull that found Akash at short fine leg, ending a 70-run stand. Even so, Kartik refused to slow down. He attacked Shahbaz’s final over, striking a six and two fours, before attempting one shot too many and being caught at long on. With four overs remaining, Shivam Dube and Prashant Veer joined forces, but they struggled to connect cleanly as Prince and Mayank pushed the batters for pace and forced mistimed swings.
Lucknow regained some momentum during that phase, especially when Shami conceded two boundaries in the 19th over. Yet the last push still had to be executed precisely. Prince missed his line with the short ball and also failed to nail the yorker in the final over, and LSG had to bring up a fielder due to a slow over-rate situation. Dube finished with a 6-4-4-6 sequence to propel CSK to 187, though he was eventually replaced during the defensive setup.
A Mitch Marsh masterclass at Ekana—again Marsh returned to Ekana, the same ground where he had hit a hundred against RCB just a week earlier, and this time conditions were even more challenging at the start. With the new ball, the pitch offered a bit more seam and swing. Even so, Mukesh Choudhary offered enough friendly deliveries on leg stump that Marsh punished them in an opening over that cost 15 runs. Spencer Johnson, making his first match after a 13-month stretch on the sidelines, also bowled at high pace and clocked 140-plus repeatedly, but fortune didn’t favour him as he created opportunities that the batters didn’t miss. Josh Inglis looked a touch scratchy, but both batters were determined to put immediate pressure on CSK’s bowlers. The first ball of overs three, four, five, and six all brought boundaries—fours or sixes—setting the tone for the chase.
No batter received Marsh’s wrath more than Anshul Kamboj. Kamboj kept serving it short in the fifth over, and Marsh punished him for 28 runs, including four maximums off the first four balls. Johnson too conceded 19 in the last over of that Powerplay segment, and Marsh made the most of it by unleashing the swivel-pull to move to a half-century. The innings wasn’t only about that shot; earlier, Marsh stepped away and smashed through the off-side to show how full his repertoire was. For the second time in as many games, CSK had looked flat in the Powerplay against Lucknow—this time, however, there was no Jamie Overton to rescue the situation.
How the middle overs unfolded Runs continued to flow for Marsh, though Inglis remained less fluent. Still, the damage from the Powerplay was already done, with Lucknow racing past 100 in the eighth over. Gurjapneet Singh couldn’t quite establish control, and the only bowler who offered any steadiness was Noor Ahmad, whom Lucknow wisely chose to handle rather than take risks against. Eventually, Mukesh Choudhary broke the 135-run opening stand in the 12th over when Inglis cut a slower short ball to sweeper cover. On the very next delivery, Marsh was nearly given no choice but to accept the moment—Pooran struck one back, and when Choudhary got his fingertips to it, the bails were disturbed at the other end, ending Marsh’s stay in the middle.
Noor Ahmad then helped reduce the scoring tempo and gave CSK a sliver of hope, but that hope didn’t last. CSK still needed a dramatic turnaround, and Lucknow kept the chase on track.
Pooran finishes it with a flurry: 6, 6, 6, 6 Lucknow did slow down briefly. Abdul Samad was removed by Johnson, and an inside edge handed Mukul Choudhary a fortunate boundary. But the required rate remained well within control. Neither Aiden Markram nor Rishabh Pant faced any meaningful batting time, and after a second timeout, Pooran took four deliveries to seal the match. The equation had been 24 off 24 when Kamboj returned, but for the second time that evening he missed his mark and erred too full. Pooran punished it, striking four sixes off four balls, and the chase was effectively dusted.
What’s next for the teams? CSK head back to Chepauk for their last home outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, May 18. Lucknow will play the next day, May 19, in Jaipur, where Rajasthan Royals await.
