Lucknow Super Giants demolish Kolkata Knight Riders to top IPL standings

Lucknow Super Giants smashed 30 runs in the penultimate to make sure they crossed the 170-run mark. In the second innings, Lucknow bowlers spear-headed by Avesh Khan and Jason Holder put on a clinical performance to send the whole Kolkata Knight Riders batting line-up back to the dugout even before they could play the death overs.

Quinton de Kock is hitting all right notes for Lucknow Super Giants.

Kolkata knight Riders won the toss and sent Lucknow Super Giants to bat first. Quinton de Kock opened the batting with skipper KL Rahul. 

However, the first over turned out to be terrible for Lucknow as both the batters got into a mishap, resulting in KL Rahul getting out for a Diamond Duck, that is, getting out without even playing a ball.

After the skipper's dismissal, Deepak Hooda and de Kock took ownership of the power play overs. The duo smashed Kolkata bowlers around the park, collecting boundaries off Shivam Mavi and Tim Southee's overs. 

Anukul Roy and Harshit Rana were next as everyone got the treatment from de Kock. The duo led Lucknow to their best power play figure in the IPL thus far, with the team scoring 66 runs for the loss of a single wicket.

It wasn't until veteran Sunil Narine came up to bowl that Lucknow came off their high horses. In the seventh over, Narine removed de Kock (50 off 29) from the crease after the South African completed his half-century in just 27 balls.

However, Hooda (41 off 27) continued his rampage until Lucknow crossed the 100-runs mark and then went off in the thirteenth over after being caught by Shreyas Iyer.

Krunal Pandya was next in line to go back to the dugout at 25 off 27 balls in the fifteenth over. The nineteenth over brought the thrill back to the match as Lucknow sent Shivam Mavi's deliveries over the fence without mercy for 30 runs over.

Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, and Jason Holder registered their contributions in the death overs to take Lucknow over the 170-runs mark and set a 177-runs target for their opponents.

Kolkata Knight Riders' batting line-up crumbles like a house of cards.

Kolkata was up to chase a target of 177 runs that required them to keep up a nine runs average. However, the team refused to show its intent for it from the start. Opener Baba Indrajith was sent back to the dugout after a maiden by Mohsin Khan to start things off.

Shreyas Iyer (6 off 9) and Aaron Finch (14 off 14) took the baton but underperformed. Both the batters were wrapped up in the power play overs as Kolkata couldn't even achieve 30 runs in the power play. Nitish Rana followed suit in the seventh over with only two runs.

Andre Russell tried to form a partnership with Rinku Singh (6 off 10). However, Singh was removed in the twelfth over. Narine joined his compatriot after that, and the duo shared a partnership that saw Kolkata score 85 runs in the thirteenth over until Russell's commendable innings stopped.

After the heavy-hitters' dismissal, the match went downhill for Kolkata as all of the batters were dismissed in the next couple of overs. 

Finch, Russell, and Narine (22 off 12) were the only batters from Kolkata Knight Riders as the previous season's runner-ups got all-out for 101 runs, losing by a margin of 75 runs.

Now, Lucknow Super Giant's play-off qualification is a mere formality, whereas Kolkata Knight Riders have fully stopped their aspirations. 

Lucknow Super Giants have replaced Gujarat Titans to become the table toppers and will face them on May 10.

On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians on May 9.