Lucknow Super Giants move to the top of the IPL 2022 points table.
A horrid batting display from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) saw them capitulate to a massive 75-run defeat at the hands of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022 on Saturday, 7 May.
Shreyas Iyer made it into the brief list of captains who’ve lost the match despite winning the toss this season. The KKR skipper opted to bowl first and was met with a Super Giants lineup that came with all guns blazing. Overcoming captain KL Rahul’s diamond duck, wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock scored a half-century (50 off 29), Deepak Hooda impressed again with 41 (27), while the others chipped in to take the total to 176/7.
The Knight Riders brought to the fore all of their weaknesses that have persisted since the start of the year. The top five were sent back for just 69 runs after 11.1 overs. All-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who contributed immensely on the bowling front as well, showed some fight with scores of 45 and 22, respectively. But once they got out, the rest were brushed aside for just 101 in 14.3 overs.
IPL 2022 updated points table
The triumph not only made the Super Giants only the second team to reach the 16-point mark this season, but also flew them to the top of the points table. Their net run rate got as big a boost, going from 0.397 to a table-best of 0.703.
Only fellow debutants Gujarat Titans (GT), who have lost their last two matches, have 16 points other than the Super Giants, but their NRR is almost one-sixth of Rahul’s team.
Meanwhile, Knight Riders, last year’s finalists, are down in the dumps. They are placed eighth, just two points ahead of the ninth-placed Chennai Super Kings 9CSK), who have played one match less. Even if Kolkata win all matches from here on, they’ll reach 14 points, which translates to being heavily dependent on other results going their way to qualify for the playoffs. Another loss would be an official death knell for them.
IPL 2022 Orange Cap list updated
KL Rahul stays at No. 2 in the IPL 2022 points table.
Rahul’s runout without even facing a ball meant that he remained 167 runs behind Orange Cap holder Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals). But his past exploits have helped him keep the second spot for now, with his tally of 451 runs being 70 clear of third-placed Shikhar Dhawan (Shikhar Dhawan).
De Kock was the top scorer in the match and entered the top 10 after a long time. He has alighted straight at No. 5 with 344 runs from 11 matches.
Meanwhile, Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer’s forgettable six off nine balls also got him a consolatory move up from No. 9 to No. 8 in the table.
IPL 2022 Purple Cap list updated
Avesh Khan enters the top-10 of the IPL 2022 Purple Cap table.
There was no change in the Purple Cap chart except for Super Giants pacer Avesh Khan‘s return to the top 10. Last year’s second-highest wicket-taker recently missed a couple of games due to injury but was brilliant against the Knight Riders, bowling Nitish Rana and getting the all-important scalp of Russell. His two wickets took his tally to 14 from nine games, putting him at No. 10.
Knight Riders’ best bowler so far, Umesh Yadav, didn’t play the match due to a calf injury and remained put at No. 6 on the chart with 15 wickets from 10 matches.
Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal stayed put at the top of the pile with 22 scalps from 11 games.
