LSG Secure First Win of the Season with Commanding Chase Against SRH

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) registered their first victory of the season with a dominant five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), successfully chasing down 191. Nicholas Pooran’s explosive 70 off 26 balls and Mitchell Marsh’s composed 50 off 29 ensured LSG remained in control after a strong start. Earlier, Shardul Thakur’s impressive 4 for 34 helped restrict SRH to 190 for 9, a total that seemed underwhelming given the venue’s recent high-scoring matches.

Thakur made an early impact, striking twice in the third over. Abhishek Sharma (6 off 6) lofted a catch to long-on, while Ishan Kishan fell for a golden duck, edging behind. Despite the setbacks, Travis Head counterattacked, taking Avesh Khan for two sixes and a four in the same over. He enjoyed a major reprieve when Pooran dropped a simple catch at long-on off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling, and in the same over, Bishnoi missed a sharp return catch.

Head’s aggression kept SRH’s momentum intact, but he was eventually cleaned up by Prince Yadav for 47 off 28. At the halfway mark, SRH stood at 96 for 3, with Nitish Kumar Reddy (32 off 28) and Heinrich Klaasen (26 off 17) trying to steady the innings. Klaasen’s dismissal was unfortunate—he was run out at the non-striker’s end after the ball ricocheted off Yadav’s hand and crashed into the stumps, leaving SRH struggling at 156 for 7 in 16.2 overs.

Aniket Verma’s blistering 36 off 13 balls, which included five sixes, injected some late momentum, while Pat Cummins contributed a quickfire 18 off 4, clearing the ropes three times. However, LSG’s bowlers held firm, conceding just 10 runs in the final two overs, with Thakur wrapping up the innings.

In response, LSG began cautiously before Pooran ignited the chase, smashing two sixes and a four off Simarjeet Singh in the third over and continuing his onslaught against Mohammed Shami. Marsh joined the attack, hammering Shami for two straight sixes, propelling LSG to 49 for 1 in four overs.

By the end of the powerplay, LSG had surged to 77 for 1, their second-highest in IPL history. Pooran continued his assault, racing to the fastest fifty of the season as LSG reached 96 for 1 in just seven overs. Cummins provided a crucial breakthrough, trapping Pooran lbw for 70 off 26. Marsh then took charge, reaching his second consecutive fifty before falling to Cummins two balls later.

Harshal Patel stole the spotlight with a stunning catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Badoni, followed by a crucial strike against Rishabh Pant. Despite a few late hiccups, LSG comfortably sealed the chase, with Abdul Samad finishing unbeaten on 22 off 8.

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