De Kock's performance contributes to Lucknow's victory over Chennai

Quinton de Kock was instrumental in the Lucknow Super Giants' eight-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL on Friday. De Kock scored 54 off 43 balls, while fellow opener KL Rahul made 82 off 53. This enabled Lucknow to surpass Chennai’s 176-6 with six balls to spare.

Chennai began the innings in a somewhat shaky manner after being invited to bat first. They lost both Rachin Ravindra (nought) and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) in the first five overs. Ajinkya Rahane was brought in to steady the side, with the help of Ravindra Jadeja. However, he fell in the ninth over after scoring 36 off 24 balls.

Lucknow’s bowling was effective in the middle overs, restricting Chennai’s scoring. Shivam Dube (three) was unable to make an impact. Jadeja continued to perform, reaching his half-century in the 17th over.

Reliable veteran MS Dhoni, who scored 28 runs in nine balls, helped Chennai increase their scoring in the last three overs.

Lucknow's openers De Kock and Rahul set the stage for the chase with a remarkable 134-run partnership. De Kock's departure in the 15th over brought an end to the partnership. Rahul was dismissed in the 18th over but a final push by Nicholas Pooran (23) sealed the victory for Lucknow.