On Tuesday, Lucknow Super Giants kept their playoff hopes alive with a five-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the IPL, thanks to Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten 89 and Mohsin Khan’s last-over heroics. Despite Tim David’s unbeaten 32 off 19 balls, Mumbai could not achieve their target of 178 runs as Mohsin Khan defended 11 runs in the final over, displaying his left-arm quick skills with figures of 1-26. Yash Thakur and Ravi Bishnoi also contributed to Lucknow’s victory by taking two wickets each to strengthen their bowling attack. Lucknow, who currently stands in third place, moved ahead of five-time winners Mumbai in their quest for a top-four finish and a playoff spot in the group stage.

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that his team did not perform well enough to win, stating “We just lost the game. We didn’t play well enough to win…Unfortunate but we need to keep our heads high.” Gujarat Titans have already secured their place and a top-two finish in the playoffs, while seven out of the 10 teams are vying for the remaining three spots.

Marcus Stoinis played a key role in Lucknow’s victory by forming crucial partnerships, including an 89-run stand with captain Krunal Pandya who retired hurt on 49, as they finished at 177-3. Stoinis, who came in at 35-3, rebuilt the innings with Pandya on a challenging pitch. Despite Pandya retiring due to cramps, Stoinis accelerated his innings and hit a six to complete his fifty, followed by a 24-run over against Chris Jordan.

Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis put together an unbeaten 60-run partnership off just 24 balls, with Stoinis hitting a six to finish the innings. Stoinis, who was named the man of the match, remarked that their team doesn’t rely on any one superstar, but rather has different players who perform well when it counts.
Mumbai started strong in their chase, with Ishan Kishan scoring 59 and Rohit Sharma contributing 37 in a 90-run opening stand. However, Yash Thakur dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for seven and Ravi Bishnoi sent both Kishan and Rohit back to the pavilion, causing Mumbai to slip to 145-5 in 17.4 overs. Despite Tim David’s attempt to lead the chase with Cameron Green, Mohsin Khan, and Lucknow were able to keep their cool and seal the victory.