Marcus Stoinis Shines With 124* In Record-Breaking Victory Against Chennai Super Kings
Marcus Stoinis led the charge for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with a remarkable century, propelling them to a historic win against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
For the second time in five days, the Lucknow Super Giants defeated the Chennai Super Kings.
With six wickets and three balls remaining, Lucknow Super Giants 213 for 4 (Stoinis 124*) defeated Chennai Super Kings 210 for 4 (Gaikwad 108*, Dube 66).
“Fortress Chepauk,” a massive banner in the CSK colors declared from the stands. However, Lucknow Super Giants had broken through by the end of the game, causing Chennai Super Kings to suffer their first home loss of the year. In five days, it was their second defeat at the hands of LSG.
The highlight of the show was Marcus Stoinis, who helped LSG achieve the most successful chase in T20 cricket history in Chepauk with an undefeated 124 off 63 balls. For the first time this season, he was batting at No. 3, and he reached the 211 mark with three balls and six wickets remaining.
Similar to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s century earlier in the evening when the CSK captain dropped his seventh toss in eight games, Stoinis’ century came off 56 balls. Shivam Dube’s 66 off 27 balls and Gaikwad’s undefeated 108 off 60 balls propelled the Super Kings to 210 for 4.
For the most part of the defence, CSK appeared to be in charge. LSG required 74 from the final five overs, but Stoinis calmed the Chennai crowd with the assistance of Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda. With eight games played, LSG now sits in fourth place with ten points, while CSK is in fifth place with eight points.
Ruturaj With A Captains’ Knock
LSG chose to bowl, and Matt Henry hit in the opening over. He pitched the final ball full after bowling four balls on a nice length and one just short of it. Ajinkya Rahane won the drive, and KL Rahul made a spectacular one-handed grab by diving full length to his right with the first slip being wider than normal.
But after Rahul’s agility, LSG played some poor fielding. Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Yash Thakur from Mohsin Khan at short third in the second over. A little while later, at the same spot, Henry was unable to seize a harder opportunity from Gaikwad against Ravi Bishnoi.
Gaikwad did not lose out even if Mitchell did not use the opportunity and fell for an 11 off 10. After being dropped when he was on 20, he hit two fours off Henry in the following over. At 49 for 2, CSK concluded their powerplay, with Gaikwad scoring 37 off just 19 balls. As the other CSK batsmen found it difficult to time their shots, he played beautifully and reached his fifty off just 28 balls, including seven fours.
Also Read: CSK Wins 2023 IPL Final to Crown Joint 5 Times Champions
Dube Powers CSK To 210
Sent in at number four, Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed for 16 off 19 balls in the twelfth over. By then, Gaikwad had amassed 71 off 39 while the other CSK batsmen had only managed 29 off 32. Dube, who also smacked the first six of the innings in the 13th over, proved to be Gaikwad’s perfect partner. There was no break for the LSG bowlers after that. Rahul did not take a chance by putting on Bishnoi or Krunal Pandya, who both turn the ball in to Dube, for the remainder of the innings because of Dube’s reputation as a spin-hitter.
Dube demonstrated that he had also improved against pace. In the sixteenth over, he hit Yash for three straight sixes, and in the nineteenth over, he hit Mohsin for two sixes and a four. Gaikwad was also quite harsh on Yash, hitting him for six, four, and four off consecutive balls—a run in which he also reached his century.
LSG’s Faltering Start
In the first over of the innings, Quinton de Kock chopped one onto his stumps after Deepak Chahar got the new ball to swing in both directions. Before CSK scored once more, Rahul and Stoinis kept LSG on course with a barrage of boundaries.
Rahul attempted to go aerial against Mustafizur Rahman after hitting a boundary earlier in the over, but he was unable to clear Gaikwad at extra cover. LSG completed the 45-for-2 powerplay.
Stoinis Masterclass Silences Chepauk
Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal entered the game, but his timing was off. By consistently hitting bounds, Stoinis was the only player who could keep LSG in the game. He reached his fifty runs in 26 balls, hitting two sixes and six fours.
It was still a difficult task. In the final 10 overs, LSG required 128. Matheesha Pathirana was supposed to bowl four and Mustafizur three. On 13 off 19 balls, Pathirana ended Padikkal’s fight with a ball that was 151.4 kph and uprooted leg stump.
The sole reason LSG had chosen to chase in the second half of the match was Dew. Otherwise, they have favored to establish the goal for this season. When Tushar Deshpande bowled a beamer in the 13th over, it was evident for the first time that dew was having an effect. Stoinis scored four goals. And the ball came onto the bat wonderfully when Mustafizur dug a cutter into the pitch, and Stoinis launched it to the straight boundary off the back foot.
Mustafizur and Pathirana shared the remaining four wickets, but Stoinis and Pooran knew they had to cash in when Shardul Thakur secured the 16th over. Pooran scored six, four, and six off the first three balls, and LSG eventually defeated Shardul for 20 runs.
When LSG required 53 from 22 balls against Pathirana, Pooran holed out to long-off. It was all up to Stoinis again. In the eighteenth over, he struck Pathirana for four and then pulled Mustafizur for six. A couple of balls later, he revealed his hundred.
Stoinis and Hooda hit three boundaries in the first four balls from Pathirana, with 32 needed from two overs. They were now in need of 17 from six balls.
Mustafizur’s opening delivery was sent over long on by Stoinis, who then hit the next straight back for four. As the following one dashed beyond short third for another boundary, luck also favored him. As it happened, Mustafizur had also overreached, which meant that just two balls were required instead of four in the calculation. To finish, Stoinis crossed across and dragged a short ball over the backward square leg.
Rahul had mentioned at the toss that it was difficult to quiet Chepauk. By day’s end, LSG had also completed that task.
Stoinis On Central Contract
Marcus Stoinis claims that even though he doesn’t have a contract for 2024–2025, he still wants to play for Australia after his incredible IPL century.
Marcus Stoinis, who scored an incredible statement century for Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL victory over Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, has no qualms about missing out on a Cricket Australia contract for 2024–25, but he is still eager to play for Australia after the T20 World Cup.
Since losing out on a CA deal for the 2024–25 season, Stoinis has been silent, but the choice was not quite clear-cut. Because CA’s contracts are for the whole fiscal year, he is still under contract with them until June 30. Before he ever played his record innings at Chepauk on Tuesday, he was already guaranteed a spot in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, barring injury. Alongside Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, and Matthew Wade in a stable middle order, he has been a cornerstone at No. 5 for Australia in Twenty20 International cricket.
When asked if he had a point to prove during the post-match presentation after his century at Chepauk, Stoinis was realistic about the circumstances.
“I’ve got a great relationship with the [Australia] coach [Andrew McDonald],” Stoinis stated. “I was aware a while back that I wouldn’t be getting a contract. I believe it’s fantastic to let younger children take my place and give them a chance. Having something on the contract list is totally acceptable to me. On the playing front, though, I certainly want to make sure I’m there, which is another reason I adore the IPL and feel so fortunate that we have this tournament.”
Regarding his contract situation and his intention to continue playing international cricket after the T20 World Cup, Stoinis, 34, has been steadfast in his remarks. When Australia’s ODI team faced the West Indies in January, he had stated back in January that he understood the decision. In order to prepare for the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the 2027 ODI World Cup, he has been in frequent contact with George Bailey, Australia’s chairman of selectors, and McDonald over his playing future with the team beyond the T20 World Cup.
Following the T20 World Cup, Australia’s next limited-overs match is scheduled for September in England and will consist of three T20Is and five ODIs. Against Pakistan at home in November, they have just one more Twenty20 International series left in their 2024–2025 contract year. Their final ODI series prior to the Champions Trophy is three ODIs against Pakistan in November.
While Stoinis has decided against pursuing a state contract with Western Australia, he hasn’t given up on playing domestic cricket altogether. However, WA’s need for continuity within their program and his freelance schedule will determine his availability and opportunities. Four WA players, including Stoinis, chose to go freelancing rather than sign a state contract. However, Stoinis is unlikely to remain with the WA program, while Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, and AJ Tye are.
Further discussions will take place later in the year. Stoinis maintains a great relationship with Adam Voges, the state coach of Washington, who works with Stoinis as a coaching consultant at Lucknow.
Gaikwad On Due Factor
The skipper of CSK explains why they lost the match against LSG.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, captain of the Chennai Super Kings, claimed that too much dew ended up eliminating the home team’s spinners after the Lucknow Super Giants executed the most successful chase at Chepauk.
Despite conceding just 37 runs in four overs, both spinners contributed less than half of their allotted overs to CSK’s vain attempt at a 210-run stand. Marcus Stoinis’ undefeated 124 helped LSG win with three balls remaining.
Gaikwad, who went on to score an undefeated 108 after CSK was put into bat, described it as a “tough pill to swallow.” “But nice cricket match. LSG performed admirably on the back end. Up until the 13th or 14th over, we were in control of the game, but props to Stoinis. He was a terrific player.
“Dew was involved. It was, in my opinion, an excessive amount of dew and distracted our spinners from the game. We could have controlled the middle period and advanced the game if there had been no dew. It is related to cricket. The uncontrollable truly is unchangeable. The tournament still has a long way to go.”
Gaikwad also provided an explanation for why CSK’s second-highest run scorer in the 2024 IPL and their most prolific six-hitter, Shivam Dube, only entered the batting zone in the 12th over.
After CSK began to falter in the middle overs, Dube entered the game at No. 5, but he quickly increased the pace of runs scored with a 27-ball 66 that helped the hosts reach 210 for 4. Jadeja and Daryl Mitchell have only scored 21 in 29 balls together prior to his arrival.
“Obviously, Jaddu [Jadeja] is batting at No. 4, and during the powerplay, we lost the second wicket. Gaikwad stated, “So he was the one to come at that stage.” “We basically have a definite procedure and way of thinking, and if a wicket falls after the powerplay, he [Dube] will come. You can’t beg him to come in by forcing yourself to go.”
Gaikwad later stated that he believed the objective of 211 was just about par, despite Dube having stated at the midway point that CSK‘s score was 10 runs above par.
“Batting first, we couldn’t have got more than that,” he stated. It was approximately on par with the amount of dew we’ve been experiencing in the last few practice sessions, to be honest, so I never felt like it was enough. I anticipated it would come down to the final over, but they played excellent batting.”
