KOLKATA: In a high-octane IPL clash, Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by just four runs in a match dominated by massive scores. Batting first, Lucknow posted a mammoth total of 239 runs. In response, Kolkata ended their innings at 234 for 7 in 20 overs, falling narrowly short despite a valiant effort. Timely wickets during the middle overs proved costly for Kolkata.

While chasing the huge target of 239, Kolkata lost opener Quinton de Kock early for 15 off 9 balls. Sunil Narine made a quickfire 30 off 13 balls before getting out. Captain Ajinkya Rahane played a composed innings of 61 off 35 deliveries, while Venkatesh Iyer contributed 45 off 29. However, the dismissals of Ramandeep Singh (1 off 2) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (5 off 4) in quick succession saw Kolkata slump to 177 for 6 in 15.2 overs. The dismissal of Andre Russell for 7 off 4 further dented their chase.

With 38 runs needed off the final two overs, Kolkata still had hope. Rinku Singh struck 14 runs in the 19th over bowled by Avesh Khan, which included a six and two boundaries. In the final over, bowled by Ravi Bishnoi, Kolkata needed 24 to win. Harshit Rana hit a boundary off the first ball, followed by just a single from the next two. Rinku then smashed two boundaries and a six in the last three balls, but Kolkata ultimately fell four runs short.

Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants put up a massive score of 238 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs. Mitchell Marsh led the charge with a blistering 81 off 48 balls, while Nicholas Pooran remained unbeaten on a stunning 87 off just 36 balls. Aiden Markram chipped in with 47 off 28, followed by Abdul Samad (6 off 4) and David Miller (4* off 4). For Kolkata, Harshit Rana picked up two wickets and Andre Russell took one.