LSG vs CSK, IPL 2023 Highlights: Match called off due to rain; Lucknow, Chennai share a point each

That's it, go home, nothing to see here folks. The rain has done a number on us all and this game has been called off. LSG and CSK share a point each. 

It is pretty havy downpour now and the mood in the middle is that this may not just the last we saw of this innings, but of this match itself. Cut off time for a five-over dash is 7.28pm.

Well it is pretty certain that we are going to lose overs. So these are the targets depending on how many overs we will have:

127 in 19 overs

117 in 17 overs

106 in 15 overs

89 in 12 overs

76 in 10 overs

It's still raining and the covers are on, no word on when or if the match will restart. So well, effectively this is a non-update. Unlike what Mr. Harry Styles says, it is the same as it was.

Woah, woah, hold on to your raincoats folks, here come the drizzle again and the covers on the pitch again. Jhonty Rhodes is among the groundsmen pulling those covers onto the middle so he has found a way to keep himself busy. One of the groundsmen came and took the weight away from him and he seemed quite unhappy about that. So he found another strap to pull on the cover.

The umpires are out in the middle for an inspection and the LSG coaches are having a conversation with them.

It is still pouring in Lucknow and so it looks like this match is not starting any time soon. We had lost 15 minutes at the start of the match already so it is quite likely that the chase will be a shortened innings now.

Just to put things in perspective, the only batter apart from Ayush Badoni to have a strike rate of over 100 was Marcus Stoinis today and he scored just six in four balls. Badoni scored 59 off 33 at a strike rate of 178.79 with 2 fours and four sixes. Rest of LSG batters have scored 60 off 83 at a strike rate of 72.28 with four fours and no sixes.

Rain is now coming down pretty hard at the Ekana Stadium. As things stand, if LSG don't bat again, CSK's target will be 127 in 19 overs. However, there is still 40 minutes left before we start losing overs so, still some time to go for considering those things. LSG are 125/7 in 19.2 overs, Ayush Badoni is at the crease with 59 runs in 33 balls.

Krishnappa Gowtham fell to Pathirana off the second ball of the 20th so Badoni is still not on strike in the last over. As soon as that wicket falls, the ground staff come rushing in dragging the covers behind them. It has been drizzling for quite some time now and the umpires have decided that enough is enough. The DJ sees the chance and lets rip 'Tip tip barsa paani' in the stadium. 

Last ball of the 19th over, Chahar sends it in full outside off, Badoni hits it to the longer extra cover boundary and manages to clear it as well! LSG 125/6 in 19 overs, Badoni 59 in 33 balls.

This boy is a superstar. 51 in 31 balls in a match where all the other batters have struggled to get anything.

He fails to clear cover, not great timing either and it is couched by Moeen.

Pooran c Ali b Pathirana 20 (31), LSG 103/6 in 17.4 overs

The first ball of the 18th bowled by Pathirana is short and wide, Badoni cuts it and Devon Conway puts in a stunning dive at point to stop it from going to the boundary. Then Ravindra Jadeja runs across the boundary and puts in a last minute dive off the third ball to stop that one.

Badoni is on 34 off 24, Pooran on 19 off 29. Partnership between these two is now on 54 off 44 and 36 runs have been scored in the last three overs.

What a hand Badoni is playing here. Full and wide from Theekshana, Badoni gets a big slash and even Ravindra Jadeja is not able to stop at that the boundary.

First ball of the 17th bowled by Theekshana, he smashes that over deep midwicket. Sudden impetus for LSG towards the end of the innings, they are 89/5 in 16.1 overs.

Second ball of the 15th by Theekshana is full outside off, Badoni brings out the slog sweep and a boundary at last for LSG.

It has been 37 deliveries since LSG managed to find a boundary and in that period, the runs have come only in singles, not even twos. Pooran is on 14 off 21, Badoni on 9 off 14.

Moeen Ali has bowled out and he has fantastic stats of 2/13. Jadeja has 1/11 in three overs. Matheesha Pathirana comes in to bowl his slingers in the 14th over.

Full around off from Moeen, Karan comes forward to smash it back towards the bowler. Moeen sticks up his hands and ball settles in them. Excellent reflex catch and LSG are in all sorts even if we consider the fact that the conditions are not suitable for batting freely.

Karan Sharma c & b Ali 9 (16), LSG 44/5 in 9.4 overs

Karan Sharma on 8 off 13 balls, Nicholas Pooran on 4 off eight. Pooran will have to play a very different innings here and try and last 20 overs for LSG to get anywhere in this match.

Fifth ball of the sixth over, Jadeja flights it gets it to pitch full outside leg and it fizzes right across Stoinis to hit the off stump. Stoinis cannot believe what has happened, he is asking if there is something wrong, if something else hit the stumps because how in the world can the ball spin all the way across there. But Jadeja knows how the ball did that, he made that ball do that and eventually, Stoinis has to leave. Just a ridiculous delivery and Stoinis made to look like he doesn't know anything about batting.

Stoinis b Jadeja 6 (4), LSG LSG 34/4 in 6.5 overs

LSG 31/3 in 6 overs. Quite an eventful end to the powerplay here. Stoinis steps across to the off side and sweeps this full delivery to the boundary.

Oh, Theekshana is on a hat-trick as he gets captain Krunal Pandya out for a golden duck. Krunal takes a poke one that was somewhat full on off, gets the edge and Rahane takes a low catch at slip.

Krunal Pandya c Rahane b Theekshana 0 (1), LSG 27/3 in 5.5 overs