IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants get their act together in win against Sunrisers Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The talk ahead of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was about whether the hosts would scale Mount 300. The odds were stocked heavily against the visitors with their bowling unit in disarray. But when Rishabh Pant chose to bowl, it looked like he had plans in place for the hosts’ dangerous batting order. And his bowlers justified him.
After being ignored at the death by captain Pant in his side’s one-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam, 'Player of the Match' Shardul Thakur returned impressive figures of 4/34 to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 190/9.
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The diminutive Nicholas Pooran then took charge. He showcased his big-hitting prowess with a 26-ball 70 (6x4, 6x6). He added 116 runs with Mitchell Marsh (52; 31b; 7x4, 2x6) that eventually sealed a five-wicket victory for LSG with 23 deliveries to spare.
Though the visitors lost Aiden Markram (1) in Mohammed Shami’s first over, Pooran went berserk. He smashed Simarjeet Singh and Abhishek Sharma for two sixes, plundering 17 and 18 runs each. Marsh was not far behind as he smashed Shami for two sixes and the visitors raced to 77/1 in the first six overs.

Pooran then hit Zampa for 19 runs with two sixes and a boundary in the seventh over to complete his halfcentury in 18 deliveries. The LSG No. 3 contributed 70 runs to the second-wicket partnership before he was trapped in front by Pat Cummins in the 9th over.
Marsh reached his fifty in 29 balls (7x4, 2x6) but holed out to long-on off Cummins in the 11th over. But by then, the duo had reduced the target to 53 from 54 balls.
Abdul Samad 22* (8b; 2x4, 2x6) and David Miller (13*) finished the game that was set up by the LSG bowlers.
Thakur struck in his second over, dismissing Abhishek (6) and last-match centurion Kishan (0) off successive deliveries. Travis Head (47; 28b, 5x4, 3x6) hit the first six of the night in the fourth over off Avesh Khan and another over extra cover and a boundary for 18 runs as Avesh looked rusty in his first match since January.
Head got two reprieves in Ravi Bishnoi’s first over. Pooran dropped a sitter at long-on with Head on 35. Two balls later, Bishnoi grassed a tough caught and bowled chance.