IPL 2026: Akash, Marsh on fire as LSG delivers a body blow to CSK

For the second time this season, Mitchell Marsh lit up the night sky at the Ekana Stadium as his marauding 38-ball 90 (9×4, 7×6) powered his side to a thumping seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in an IPL 2026 encounter in Lucknow on Friday (May 15, 2026).

A week after his 111 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the same venue, Marsh unleashed his brutal power hitting on a hapless Super Kings pace attack and made short work of the 188-run target.

At the halfway stage, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men would have fancied their chances. The CSK bowlers, though, failed to hit the right lengths and paid the price.

Marsh started by picking Mukesh Choudhary off his pads for a couple of boundaries in the first over to set the tone. Then in the fifth over, he cut loose, smashing Anshul Kamboj for four maximums and a four. The LSG opener charged down and smacked Kamboj over cover off the first ball, and it was enough to rattle the pacer.

Kamboj followed it up by feeding innocuous short-pitched deliveries, which were duly dispatched over the ropes.

In the final over of the PowerPlay, Marsh did not spare compatriot Spencer Johnson, swatting him over leg-side to race to his half-century off just 21 balls.

By the time the Australian was dismissed, running out at the non-striker’s end, he had brought the equation to nearly a run-a-ball. Nicholas Pooran closed it out in style when he meted out a similar treatment to Kamboj by punishing him for four consecutive sixes as LSG cantered home with 20 balls to spare.

For CSK, the loss ended its three-match winning streak and, more importantly, dealt a huge blow to its playoff chances.

Earlier, Super Kings managed 187 for five, riding on Kartik Sharma’s fine 71 (42b, 6×4, 5×6) after being put in to bat.

Akash Singh (4-0-26-3), playing his first game of the season, was impressive with his back-of-length deliveries, scalping three wickets in an unchanged four-over burst.

CSK could only muster 37 for two in the PowerPlay. Even as his teammates struggled, Kartik demonstrated his temperament in the manner he adapted to the challenging conditions. His shot selection was on the money, evidenced by his well-timed pulled sixes off Prince Yadav as he guided his team to a decent total. However, Marsh had other ideas.