That 50-50 feeling quickly slipped away, though, especially after Tilak Varma was retired out — a bold, tactical move we don’t see too often in T20s. It looked like MI wanted Hardik Pandya to take full charge of the chase, farming the strike and trying to maximize each ball. But credit where it’s due: Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur held their nerve when it mattered most. Shardul, especially, showed that knack for breaking partnerships or stifling momentum just when the opposition feels like they’re getting ahead. Digvesh Rathi’s 4-0-21-1 also turned out to be a low-key match-winner — that kind of control in the middle overs set things up perfectly for the death guys. Also, Marsh and Markram as openers? That’s a solid combo for LSG — power and poise, and it gave them the perfect base. MI are showing glimpses (Naman Dhir looks exciting, SKY is in form), but they’re not stringing it together yet. And 6-1 head-to-head is brutal. Yeah, MI were very much in the game until that 17th over — Suryakumar’s dismissal totally flipped the script. That attempted sweep was all risk, and it looked like he was trying to be too clever when playing straight might’ve been the better option, especially with 50+ still to go. A big turning point. As for the Tilak Varma retirement, it kinda felt like MI were scrambling tactically. They brought in Mitchell Santner needing 24 off 7 — not exactly his comfort zone. You could argue Tilak wasn’t finding the boundaries, but at least he’d been in there and was set. Swapping him out that late was desperate more than strategic, yeah? And man, Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur absolutely iced it at the death. Avesh’s final over — under pressure, with Hardik on strike and still going big — was clutch. Nailing yorkers at the death is an art, and he painted a masterpiece in those final five balls. On the flip side, how about Naman Dhir? That 30 off 9 start was wild. He looks like a serious find — compact, composed, but hits a heavy ball. And SKY swatting like he never left. That dismissal of Dhir really was the momentum killer, wasn't it? Rathi's carrom ball was sneaky good — short enough to tempt the flick, but dipping in late to rattle the stumps. Just when MI looked like they had the tempo under control, Rathi put the brakes on and MI never quite recovered from there. Suryakumar, though — classic SKY mode. That over with the square and cover drives was vintage him: field manipulation at its finest, making it look effortless. But MI just couldn’t maintain the flow once LSG’s spinners and death bowlers tightened things up. The fact that they scored 88 in the middle overs without a single six says a lot — they were playing risk-free cricket, but maybe too risk-free? Set batters at the crease, platform ready, but the explosion never came. They left just a bit too much for the end, and LSG capitalized hard. And man, Mitchell Marsh — what a bullet dodged for LSG in that first over. That edge off Boult was loud on replay, but the silence from the field let him off the hook, and he made them pay big time. The way he took on Santner and Ashwani was brutal, and that off-drive six? Chef’s kiss. LSG’s top-order finally clicking with Marsh and Markram firing in sync is huge for them. What do you think — should MI have reviewed that Marsh nick early on? Could've changed the whole tone. That late Miller surge really made the difference, didn’t it? Just when MI looked like they’d done well to keep LSG under 200 — boom, six and four off the first two balls of the final over and the total pushes just over that psychological 200-mark. That 3000 IPL runs milestone for Miller couldn’t have come at a better moment for LSG. Hardik was solid at the death overall, especially considering Bumrah was missing. Three wickets in those final overs is no joke, and that offcutter to remove Markram was a beauty. But that 15-run last over just took the edge off his efforts a bit. Still, without him, LSG might’ve pushed 220. As for Badoni, it was classic slow start, explosive finish. The three boundaries off Santner were clean and well-executed, and it really turned the tempo. That scoop dismissal was unlucky timing — Ashwani pulled his length and line just enough to beat him. Santner had a rough one, though. 0 for 46 is harsh, and LSG clearly targeted him. All in all, LSG’s middle and lower order did just enough to capitalize on the top-order platform — and MI’s spinners couldn’t keep the squeeze on like LSG’s did.