Picture : IPL / X
Lucknow Super Giants defied the odds as they stunned the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 wickets in a Tata IPL 2025 encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants Captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl first. Not an easy move given the SRH batting prowess. But to the surprise of many LSG came out with a decent bowling show to restrict the aggressive SRH batting line-up.
Abhishek Sharma once again fell early in the power play for 6. Centurion in the first match Ishan Kishan too fell first ball out for 0. Both falling to Shardul Thakur. Nitish Reddy however denied Thakur the hat- trick . Travis Head on the other hand lived his luck for while, Dropped by Nicholas Pooran and Ravi Bishnoi . Head was out eventually bowled for 48 ( 28 balls , 5 fours, 3 sixes) .
SRH lost wickets regularly . Heinrich Klaasen ( 26 ) looked set for big one but was unfortunately run- out with the ball ricocheting from the bowler’s hands on to the stumps and he was out off his crease. Nitish Reddy struggled with his timing and was not in his fluent best . It hurt SRH in the middle overs. The big hits were not coming . Reddy was out for 32 ( 28 balls, 2 fours) was a sedate effort.
Aniket Verma played lively cameo 36 ( 13 balls , 5 sixes) to keep SRH hopes of a decent total . Abhinav Manohar ( 2). SRH Skipper Pat Cummins played 4 balls. But blasted three maximums in his 18. Harshal Pate not out 12 . Mohammed Shami ( 1). Simarjeet Singh was not out 3 . SRH battling hard to reach 190/ 9 in their 20 overs. Only way they could win the match was by a strong bowling performance.
LSG bowling figures read : Shardul Thakur 4/ 34 ( 4 overs) was brilliant . Avesh Khan 1/ 45 ( 4 overs) , Digvesh Rathi 1/ 40 ( 4 overs) , Ravi Bishnoi 1/ 42 ( 4 overs) , Prince Yadav 1/ 29 ( 4 overs) .
LSG bowlers did all the hard work now the onus was on the batting line- up to deliver. LSG lost opener Aiden Markram early for 4 . But Aussie Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran did not panic and kept the attack . Marsh and Pooran put on a superb 115 run stand to put LSG in the driver’s seat
Nicholas Pooran played gem of an attacking knock 70 off just 26 balls with 4 fours and 5 sixes. LSG were in control . Mitchell Marsh too raced to his second successive 50 . Marsh was however soon out for 52 ( 31 balls , 7 fours, 2 sixes)
Ayush Badoni fell for 6. The fourth LSG wicket to fall. LSG skipper Rishabh Pant fell for 15 a run a ball innings.
David Miller ( 7 ) and Abdul Samad not out a quick cameo 22 ( 8 balls 2. fours 2 sixes) helped LSG romp home by five wickets. LSG finishing at 192/ 5 in 16.1 overs)
SRH bowling : Mohammed Shami 1/ 49 ( 4 overs) went runs after taking early wicket. Harshal Patel 1/ 26 ( 2 overs) , Simarjeet Singh 0/ 28 ( 2 overs) , Adam Zampa 1/ 45 ( 4 overs) , Abhishek Sharma 0/ 20 ( 2 overs) .
The big plus for SRH after loss was return to form of Skipper Pat Cummins. 0/60 in the first match against RR. Cummins was brilliant hitting three sixes with the bat and then with the ball bagged 2/ 18 ( 2 overs) .
Match: IPL 2025, 7th Match
Venue: Hyderabad | Date: March 27, 2025
