NEW DELHI: Shardul Thakur’s fiery spell and Nicholas Pooran’s explosive batting powered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to their first victory of IPL 2025, as they secured a commanding five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday.
Opting to bowl first, LSG got off to a dream start thanks to Shardul’s brilliance. The experienced pacer struck early, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan off consecutive deliveries in the third over. Kishan, SRH’s centurion from the previous game, fell for a golden duck, putting the hosts on the back foot.
Despite Travis Head’s aggressive counterattack, where he smashed a 28-ball 47, Shardul maintained his stranglehold over SRH’s batting. He returned to remove Abhinav Manohar and Mohammed Shami, finishing with impressive figures of 4/34 in his four overs. Youngsters Prince Yadav and Digvesh Rathi also contributed, with Yadav dismissing the dangerous Head and Rathi taking out the hard-hitting Aniket Verma. Although SRH skipper Pat Cummins provided some late fireworks with an 18-run cameo off four balls, LSG’s disciplined bowling restricted SRH to 191.
Chasing 192, LSG had a shaky start as Aiden Markram fell cheaply to Mohammed Shami. However, Nicholas Pooran turned the game around with a breathtaking onslaught. The left-hander smashed seven boundaries and six towering sixes, racing to a scintillating 26-ball 70 that dismantled SRH’s bowling attack.
Mitchell Marsh (52 off 31) provided steady support, while skipper Rishabh Pant (15 off 15) ensured LSG stayed in control. Though Cummins dismissed Pooran and Harshal Patel removed Pant, David Miller’s unbeaten 13 and Abdul Samad’s composed 22 guided LSG home with 23 balls to spare.
With this emphatic victory, LSG gained momentum and will next face Punjab Kings on Tuesday at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
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