In the thrilling face-off between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Lucknow team, opening the innings, proved to be a powerhouse. Especially, Mitchell Marsh electrified the crowd with his fierce batting, scoring an outstanding 81 runs off just 48 balls. This wasn’t the first time Marsh's bat channeled brilliance. This season, he's been in a league of his own, cracking four fifties in just five innings, amassing a total of 265 runs with sheer finesse.
Costs 8 Times Less Than Pant
This IPL season, the most extravagant bid was placed for Rishabh Pant, who joined the Lucknow team for a whopping 27 crores. In contrast, Mitchell Marsh was acquired for 3.4 crores, making Pant considerably more expensive, by a factor of 8 when compared to Marsh.
Yet Performance is 14 Times Greater
Comparing their performances, despite Marsh’s relatively lower price, his impact has been monumental, delivering results 14 times greater than Pant’s output. Marsh has consistently shone, securing four fifties in his last five IPL innings. On the other hand, Pant has struggled, managing only 19 runs in his last four outings, marking a continuous slump.
Pant’s Defensive Approach a 'Headache'
In the Lucknow-Kolkata match, post Marsh’s dismissal, Lucknow was in a favorable position. After the fall of a wicket, it was anticipated Pant would unleash his batting prowess in the remaining five overs. However, Pant sent Samad instead. This recurrent delay in stepping onto the field and inadvertently sacrificing his wicket cheaply has become evident in several matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI:
Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI:
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper/captain), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Digvijay Singh Rathore
