A magnificent counter-attacking maiden IPL century from Marcus Stoinis (124* off 63) helped Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pull off a stunning chase of 211 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Stoinis pulled LSG out of trouble from 33/2 and played a majestic knock, keeping the runs flowing at one end. Nicholas Pooran (34 off 15) and Deepak Hooda (17* off 6) played handy knocks under pressure in helping Stoinis take LSG past the finish line. It was fitting that with 17 needed off the last over, Stoinis took it upon himself to see LSG through as he smashed 6, 4, 4, 4 off Mustafizur to finish the game off in style as LSG pulled off the highest run-chase in IPL at Chepauk.

Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first CSK captain to register a century in IPL as he put on an exhibition of elegant strokes and added a mammoth 104-run stand off just 46 balls with Shivam Dube to power CSK to 210/4 from 20 overs.

Defending 211, CSK got off to a brilliant start, sending back the LSG openers inside the Powerplay. Deepak Chahar started it off, making Quinton de Kock drag one onto the stumps off just the third ball of the innings. Marcus Stoinis walked in at No.3 and took the aggressive approach straight away. Rahul, too, hit an authoritative six off Tushar Deshpande and a lovely four off Mustafizur. But the wily left-arm seamer bounced back three balls later to strike a huge wicket, having Rahul caught at cover.

The #CSK captain catches his opposite number 🙌#LSG have now lost both their openers in the Powerplay!

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG pic.twitter.com/zKr5CxNCSj

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

While Stoinis continued to take the aggressive approach, CSK kept Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal under check. Stonis took the attack to Moeen Ali in the ninth over, smashing a powerful four and a 96m gigantic six, and then brought up his fifty off 26 balls in the next over.

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 from Marcus Stoinis 😍

He is taking on the challenge with a solid 5️⃣0️⃣ 💥

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG pic.twitter.com/YTspXSHMzt

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

The pressure, though, was building as Paddikal couldn't get going and his struggles finally came to an end in the 11th over as Matheesha Pathirana castled him with a 151 kmph thunderbolt. The required rate had gone past 13-and-a-half. Stoinis and Pooran then upped the ante, hitting 49 off the next four overs to bring the equation to 74 needed off 30.

Pooran stepped up another gear in the next over, hammering a couple of sixes and a four off Shardul Thakur to take 20 off the over. The equation came down to 54 needed off 24. With CSK in need of a wicket, Ruturaj brought back his trump card - Pathirana. The pacer obliged his captain with the wicket of the dangerous looking Pooran (34 off 15). He bowled an excellent over under pressure, giving away just 7 runs.

Stoinis hit a powerful six off Mustafizur in the next over and then brought up his 100 (off 56 balls), two balls later. Deepak Hooda ended the Mustafizur over with a six to bring the equation down to 32 needed off 12. Stoinis started the penultimate over from Pathirana with a cracking four through extra cover, and two balls later, Deepak Chahar misfielded at third man fence off a Hooda outside edge to gift LSG another boundary in the over. Hooda crashed the next ball straight down the ground to make it three fours in the over. A dot ball followed as he slashed and missed, and then a mistimed loft down the ground got LSG two off the last ball.

Mustafizur was entrusted with the job of defending 17 off the last over. Stoinis started off the over in style with an authoritative six over long on. He smashed the next one flatter straight down the ground for a powerful four to bring the equation to 7 needed off 4. The LSG all-rounder slashed at the next ball, and the thick edged flew to third man for four. And to add to CSK's misery, the buzzer went off for a NO Ball. With two needed off four, Stoinis finished it off in style with a four over fine leg to pull off a stunning chase for LSG. He remained unbeaten on 124 off 63 balls, while Hooda remained not out on 17 off 6.

Have a look at those emotions 🥳

The Lucknow Super Giants make it 2/2 this season against #CSK 👏👏

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/MWcsF5FGoc#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/khDHwXXJoF

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul won the toss and elected to field. They started off well, striking early with captain KL Rahul pulling off a spectacular one-handed flying catch of Ajinkya Rahane in the first over. Matt Henry induced an outsid edge off Rahane and KL Rahul flew to his right to pouch a brilliant one-handed catch. LSG could have had two in two overs but Yash Thakur dropped Daryl Mitchell at short third man off Mohsin Khan. Captain Gaikwad rubbed salt on LSG's wounds, crunching consecutive fours off the next two balls. The CSK captain continued to unleash some delictable drives and threaded the gap with surgical precision. However, another piece of brilliant fielding saw Mitchell walk back inside the Powerplay as Deepak Hooda pulled off a terrific reflex catch at mid-wicket off Yash Thakur. CSK reached 49/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

The LSG bowlers largely kept things under control and conceded 36 in the next four overs. Gaikwad brought up his fifty off 28 balls as CSK reached 85/2 at the halfway mark. He along with Ravindra Jadeja stitched a 52-run stand off 39 balls but Mohsin came back to dismiss Jadeja (17 off 19) via a slower bouncer in the 12th over to dent the home side. By this Gaikwad had hit almost 70 percent of the team's runs.

Pristine timing ft. Ruturaj Gaikwad ✨

The @ChennaiIPL skipper has moved to 71*(39) 🔥🔥

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG pic.twitter.com/ALjUEx99yH

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

Dube and Gaikwad then got together and upped the scoring. Dube tonked a six downtown off Stoinis while Gaikwad hit his first six of the innings in the 14th over, heaving one over deep mid-wicket off the same bowler. The pair took 16 off the 15th over bowled by Stoinis. The pair went on a six-hitting spree as Dube smashed three consecutive sixes off Yash Thakur and then Gaikwad cracked one off Mohsin in the next over. The CSK captain thumped one over long on off Thakur to get to 99 before smacking one over extra cover for a four off the next ball to reach his century in style. He followed it up with another four as CSK accumulated 16 off the over. 

Shivam Dube goes BIG!💥

He scores 19 runs of that over 🆚 Yash Thakur 👌

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG pic.twitter.com/nAe4LtP5yQ

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

Dube too followed his captain and brought up his fifty in style, hammering two sixes and a four off Mohsin. The CSK all-rounder brought up the 100-run stand with a massive six over deep mid-wicket off the first ball of the final over from Stoinis. Dube's exciting knock of 66 (27) came to an end via a run out off the fourth ball of the over. In walked MS Dhoni to a rapturous reception with two balls remaining. Gaikwad, on strike, got a single off the penultimate ball, and then Dhoni didn't disappoint the Chennai crowd as he finished it off with a four over mid-wicket to take CSK to 210/4 at the end of 20 overs.

MS Dhoni acknowledges the Chennai crowd with a final ball four 💛

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/MWcsF5FGoc#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG | @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/kdh5HtsIhV

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2024

Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 108 off 60 balls as CSK hit 91 off the final six overs. CSK introduced Shardul Thakur as their Impact Player, replacing Rahane at the start of the second innings.