Watch: Gautam Gambhir celebrates wildly as LSG clinch playoffs spot amid 'Kohli' chants

Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir was pumped after his team defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in a last-ball thriller on Saturday to enter the IPL 2023 playoffs. A victory on the night allowed LSG to gain a direct entry into the playoffs and avoid the NRR (net run rate) muddle for the fourth and final spot. IPL 2023:  Full coverage |  Points table |  Schedule |  Results |  Orange Cap |  Purple Cap​ LSG are the third team to reach the IPL 2023 playoffs after Gujarat Titans (1st position) and Chennai Super Kings (2nd). The franchise which entered IPL in 2022 has now reached the playoffs in both seasons. The Lucknow franchise however had to earn the qualification with a thrilling win over KKR who were also fighting to stay alive in the playoffs race. Nicholas Pooran was the only batter to score a fifty as LSG made 176/8 batting first in the crucial game. In reply, Jason Roy (45) and Venkatesh Iyer (24) gave KKR a flying start before Rink Singh (67 not out) took control of the proceedings. During KKR’s charge, the fans at Eden Gardens started to taunt LSG with “Kohli” chants. The chants were directed towards Gambhir and LSG pacer Naveen-ul-Haq who were involved in a spat with Kohli earlier this month. Rinku also added to their misery with his excellent knock despite KKR’s middle and lower order failing. IPL: Rinku Singh nearly pulls off another heist 41 was needed from the last two overs and Rinku Singh collect 20 from the penultimate over and got 19 in the last over but fell short by 2 runs. As LSG clinched the playoffs spot, Gambhiw was seen banging the table to celebrate the victory.

A breathtaking finish to a sensational encounter! 🔥@LucknowIPL clinch a victory by just 1 run after Rinku Singh's remarkable knock 🙌

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/7X1uv1mCyL #TATAIPL | #KKRvLSG pic.twitter.com/umJAhcMzSQ

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2023

Kohli’ RCB meanwhile are still not guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. RCB along with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals are still in contention for the fourth spot. RCB play Gujarat Titans on Sunday, while MI take on Sunrisers Hyderabad. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News,  India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.