IPL Pulse: Be careful who you talk to

Good morning

Rain at Lucknow meant that the match dragged on painfully long. Chances are, you were snoring when the game finally ended at almost half past midnight. Fret not, here's Cricketlineguruji Pulse, your 2-minute scan of the IPL-verse, to get you up to speed.

Last night in five lines

Uninvited yet refusing to leave, the rain interrupted repeatedly and rudely to eventually have the contest reduced to 19-overs-a-side.

Mitchell Marsh brought his bazookas out and fired them all around - nine fours and nine sixes in his 111 off 56

Late-stage Rishabh-panti powered LSG to 209 (with DLS revising it to 213)

Rajat Patidar launched a fierce counter-attack, making 61 off 31, after two early jolts

Tim David, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd did enough to give LSG a scare but not enough to take RCB over the line

Oh, that happened

Virat Kohli -> inswinger -> through the gate -> off-stump flat: the chain of events that preceded a leaping Prince Yadav, profusely thanking the powers above, while a stunned Kohli trudged back for a two-ball duck. Yes, you read that right - Kohli out for a two-ball duck in a run-chase. The last time it happened was back in 2017 when RCB were skittled out for 49.

While that was undoubtedly the highlight of the night for Prince, he wasn't done. He returned to break a crucial 95-run stand between Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar before also snaring Jitesh Sharma. In what's been a forgettable season otherwise for LSG, Prince's versatility has stood out.

Pulse Awards

The easier-seen-than-done award goes to Arshin Kulkarni for crawling to 17 off 24 while witnessing Marsh's ballistics at the other end.

The missing GOATs award goes to both Virat Kohli and Josh Hazlewood for not quite turning up.

The born-to-fly award goes to Rishabh Pant's bat for dreaming and daring to fly repeatedly.

The that's-enough-cardio award goes to the groundstaff at Lucknow for tirelessly sprinting on and off with the covers in tow.

The overrated-warmups award goes to Mayank Yadav for sending down a 150kph thunderbolt on his very first ball. His avg speed in that first over was 144.23kph.

Talking Point

The BCCI have been busy and have laid down strict protocols that deal with player movement and behaviour. The board said the seven-page guidelines are aimed at upholding the IPL's integrity and reputation. Among them are restrictions on unauthorised visitors, restrictions on players leaving their hotels without prior approval and a strict warning on the use of vapes and other prohibited substances. Additionally, owners have been asked to adhere to the Player and Match Official Access (PMOA) Protocols and refrain from interacting or communicating with players during a match. To show that they're not messing about, the BCCI also warned that there will be surprise checks to ensure compliance.

The Chatter

Mitchell Marsh said that it was "nice to get on the right side of the game and get a win" and that it was "really good" for the team's morale.

Prince Yadav turned Virat Kohli's own advice against him! "After the last match I was talking to Virat bhaiya and he only told me - as long as it's moving around off a length, stick to that length." That's exactly what Prince did to send Kohli back for a two-ball duck.

Rishabh Pant is already looking ahead and said that they're keen to "figure out" their best batting order and "take it for the next season".

Rajat Patidar said his team was running "two shots behind" LSG.

Stat Snack

Bhuvneshwar Kumar became only the 12th player and the very first pacer to play 200 IPL matches. No better testament to his longevity.

Gossip Column

"This is like being back in school," said an unnamed and very real source involved in the tournament, clearly displeased with the BCCI's latest guidelines. Well, at least one activist will have less to complain about.

Today's watchlist

Two teams that are clinging on to dear life, DC and KKR lock horns at Delhi. The difference, however, is in momentum. The Knight Riders come in on the back of three straight wins while the Capitals are on a four-match losing streak at home.

Reckless prediction for today

Axar Patel will spring back into form and become the first player in the IPL to score a century and pick up five wickets in the same match.