While most experts expected SunRisers Hyderabad to easily beat Lucknow Super Giants, it was the latter who shone bright in the IPL 2025 on Friday. Nicholas Pooran struck 70 off just 26 balls while Shardul Thakur took a four wicket haul as LSG won by five wickets. SRH's famed batting order, which was touted to cross 300, could not even go past 190 in the match against LSG. No. 4 batter Nitish Kumar Reddy was expected to score big but returned with just 32 off 28 balls. He was frustrated man after getting out and it showed in his act after getting dismissed.
Quickfire half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh and a fiery spell from Shardul Thakur helped Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) topple a hard-hitting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by five wickets at Uppal Stadium during their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Thursday. After being put to bat first, SRH could make just 190/9, flopping as per their recent gigantic standards as they lost wickets quickly. In the run chase, Pooran and Marsh charged up the pursuit with their hard-hitting shots and chased down the total with 23 balls left.
During the run-chase of 191 runs, LSG was off to a poor start as Mohammed Shami got the scalp of opener Aiden Markram for just one, leaving them at 4/1 in 1.3 overs.
Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran joined forces again, with the vice-captain Pooran unleashing his beastly hitting against Simarjeet Singh, hitting him for two sixes and a four. In the next over, Marsh looted 18 runs from Shami's over, hitting him for two sixes and a four.
LSG reached the 50-run mark in 4.2 overs, thanks to a Marsh hit clubbed through mid-on for four. Two successive sixes by Pooran ended the over on a poor note for Abhishek Sharma.
LSG completed their six overs of the powerplay at 77/1, with Pooran (44*) and Marsh (25*).
Pooran reached his second successive IPL fifty in just 25 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes. Adam Zampa's over gave LSG 19 runs, including two sixes and a four by Pooran.
A fine boundary from Marsh helped LSG reach the 100-run mark in 7.3 overs.
Skipper Pat Cummins struck for SRH, removing Pooran for a 26-ball 70, which consisted of six fours and six sixes. This ended a quickfire 116-run partnership between the duo in just 43 balls. LSG was 120/2 in 8.4 overs.
At the end of 10 overs, LSG was 129/2, with Marsh (44*) joined by skipper Rishabh Pant (2*).
Marsh struck Cummins for two back-to-back fours, sealing his fifty in 29 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. However, Cummins had the last laugh, removing him for 52 in 31 balls. LSG was 138/3 in 10.5 overs.
LSG lost Ayush Badoni (6) and skipper Rishabh Pant (15) in quick succession, falling to 164/5 in 14.1 overs with SRH threatening to make a resurgence.
Abdul Samad came to bat against his former team and played a quickfire cameo, guiding his team to a victory by five wickets. LSG finished at 193/5 in 16.1 overs, with Miller (13* in seven balls, with two fours) and Samad (22* in eight balls, with two fours and two sixes).
Skipper Cummins (2/29) was the pick of the bowlers for LSG. Zampa, Harshal and Shami got one each.
From going unsold in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) Mega Auction to becoming the bowling spearhead of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Shardul Thakur delivered a strong performance against the dominant Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday. His four-wicket haul played a crucial role in restricting SRH to 190/9 in their innings.
Thakur finished with figures of 4/34 in his four overs, providing LSG with crucial breakthroughs at key moments. He struck early to break SRH's opening partnership, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for just 6 runs. The seamer then put LSG in command with back-to-back dismissals, sending in-form Ishan Kishan back for a duck. Kishan, who had scored a century in his last match against Rajasthan Royals, fell victim to Thakur's pace with SRH reduced to 15/2.
Despite the early blows, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy rebuilt the innings with a 61-run stand. Head, looking in good touch, fell for 47 to debutant Prince Yadav, while Heinrich Klaasen's aggressive knock was cut short by a brilliant run-out from Yadav.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was holding SRH's innings together, was cleaned up by leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi for 32. Aniket Verma then provided fireworks, smashing five sixes in a stunning 36-run knock off just 13 balls before being dismissed by Digvesh Rathi. His efforts pushed SRH to 156/6.
Abhinav Manohar could not contribute much, falling for just two runs as Thakur claimed his third wicket. However, SRH captain Pat Cummins injected some late momentum into the innings, smashing three consecutive sixes off his first three balls. His counter-attacking approach, though short-lived, saw him dismissed by Avesh Khan for 18 off four balls.
Thakur wrapped up his spell with Mohammed Shami's wicket and completed his hundred IPL wickets. Every LSG bowler chipped in with a wicket.
Brief Scores: LSG: 193/5 in 16.1 overs (Nicholas Pooran 70, Mitchell Marsh 52, Pat Cummins 2/29) beat SRH: 190/9: (Travis Head 47, Aniket Verma 36, Shardul Thakur 4/34).