CHENNAI, India: Australia’s Marcus Stoinis hit an unbeaten 124 as Lucknow Super Giants chased down a target of 211 with six wickets and three balls to spare against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday.
It was Stoinis’ first IPL century and his second in T20 cricket, trumping an unbeaten 108 by Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad at his home M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Lucknow looked in trouble at 88-3 after 11 overs but Stoinis put on 70 runs with Nicholas Pooran, who hit 34 off 15 balls, and an unbeaten 65-run stand with Deepak Hooda to achieve victory in 19.3 overs.
Stoinis reached his hundred in 56 balls as he and Hooda, who made 17 not out off six balls, secured Lucknow’s second straight win over Chennai, replacing the five-time winners in fourth spot.
Needing 17 to win in the final over, Stoinis smashed Mustafizur Rahman for a six and three fours, including one off a no ball.
“Tough pill to swallow, but good game of cricket,” said Gaikwad. “LSG played really well in the back end. We had the game in control till 13-14 overs, but Stoinis played a great innings.”
Stoinis walked in in the first over after Quinton de Kock’s departure for a duck and paced his innings to perfection as he hit 13 fours and six sixes in his 63-ball knock.
It was the highest score by a batsman while chasing in the IPL.
Hooda said Stoinis “played like a warrior, he is a kind of motivation to us.”
Sri Lanka pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana took two wickets including the dangerous Pooran.
Chennai posted 210-4 courtesy of Gaikwad’s second IPL ton and a 104-run stand between the captain and Shivam Dube, who smashed 66, after the hosts were invited to bat first.
Gaikwad took on the opposition attack despite losing Ajinkya Rahane and Daryl Mitchell and raised his hundred from 56 balls with a six and four.
Gaikwad became only the third Chennai player after India’s Murali Vijay and Australia’s Shane Watson to hit two IPL tons and moved to second in this season’s batting chart with 349 runs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli tops the chart with 379 runs.
Dube got to his fifty with a four and a six before being run out in the final over, which saw veteran M.S. Dhoni walk out to a rousing reception and hit a four off the final ball.
Unbeaten Stoinis ton helps Lucknow chase 211 to beat CSK
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Unbeaten Stoinis ton helps Lucknow chase 211 to beat CSK
- It was Stoinis’ first IPL century and his second in T20 cricket, trumping an unbeaten 108 by Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Stoinis reached his hundred in 56 balls as he and Hooda, who made 17 not out off six balls, secured Lucknow’s second straight win over Chennai
‘Relieved’ Rahm wins LIV Golf event in Hong Kong
- Jon Rahm said he was “very relieved” after scoring a final-round 64 to win the LIV Golf event in Hong Kong by three shots on Sunday
HONGKONG: Jon Rahm said he was “very relieved” after scoring a final-round 64 to win the LIV Golf event in Hong Kong by three shots on Sunday.
It was the 31-year-old Spaniard’s first victory since LIV Golf Chicago in 2024 and ended a run of four runner-up finishes on the Saudi-backed circuit.
“Very relieved, just happy I could enjoy the walk down the 18th,” the two-time major champion said at Hong Kong Golf Club after finishing on 23-under, with Thomas Detry of Belgium second.
“I played really good all day,” said Rahm, who made eight birdies against two bogeys in his final round at Fanling.
Rahm, who celebrated his third LIV win, added: “Even though I shot six-under, what could have been with quite a few short putts missed and an errant shot on 18.
“It was incredible. But I just tried to stay very patient and committed to each shot, knowing that I was doing everything right and things were going to happen.
“I think that was the theme pretty much every round this week.”
Runner-up Detry was only able to play in Hong Kong after Rahm arranged a private jet to fly the Belgian and several other LIV players out of the Middle East.
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