Pooran and Badoni's stand and the fine spell of bowling from the spinners in the middle overs helped choke the runs and LSG, wearing Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan's red and gold colours, going home triumphant, could go down as one of the ironic moments in IPL 2023.

The game would not have us on the edge of our seats had it not been for the man who answers to the name Rinku Singh.

Once again, GT rode on the backs of the two players who have been lethal throughout this IPL season.

It's a pity that all the cricketing brains in the dugout -- Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Dale Steyn in coaching roles -- cannot convert performances out in the middle.

Prabhsimran Singh has played a couple of good knocks this season, but on Saturday he was on fire!

DC lost Salt, Marsh, Rossouw, Warner, Axar and Manish off five successive overs.

DC's fate was sealed when they lost three quick wickets inside the Powerplay.

Ajinkya Rahane's contribution can't go unnoticed, taking the catches of Warner and Axar and effecting that brilliant run-out of Marsh -- dismissals that put the game out of DC's reach.

Their opening stand of 142 was the second highest opening partnership this IPL.

If Rashid doesn't come good with the ball, he is certain to shine in the field or with the bat. His value and legend grew more on Sunday with an effort that changed the game's route.

With seven overs to go and two new batters at the crease, it was MI's game for the taking. Instead of going for the jugular, some poor bowling allowed GT a passage back into the game.

For a batter with such exquisite touch, it doesn't seem fit to expect Gill to do well in a slam-bang format like the IPL.

The most expensive player in IPL history, the English all-rounder showed why he is worth every rupee of the Rs 16.25 crore (Rs 162.5 million) spent on him by his franchise.

And one Saturday evening, under the Mumbai night sky, next to the Arabian Sea, with the 'God of Cricket' in attendance, Mumbai Indians were done in by the brilliance and resilience of Punjab Kings.

Stoinis, Avesh and especially Naveen-ul-Haq kept the LSG batters in check.

The pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium was nothing like we've witnessed at other venues this season of the IPL. It was a two-paced pitch and batting wasn't the easiest.

The average score in T20Is at the Narendra Modi stadium is 163 and those quiet middle overs by RR spinners helped restrict GT to a par score of 177.

Samson's innings was complimented with fine strokeplay as well as quick running that brought him another IPL half-century and put RR in victory's path.

How often have fielding errors turned matches around more often than performances with bat or ball and that is exactly what happened at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.

The game at the Eden Gardens played out like a pendulum with the match swaying this way now and the other way next.