The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) handed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) a taste of their own medicine with a commanding five-wicket win, chasing down 191 with 23 balls to spare in a match that saw Nicholas Pooran and Shardul Thakur shine at opposite ends of the game.
On a batting-friendly surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, many expected SRH to break the elusive 300-run barrier in the IPL. After all, this was the same venue where they had piled up a mammoth 286/6 in their season opener, and LSG were without a couple of their premier bowlers. However, it was Shardul Thakur who flipped the script with a sensational spell of 4 for 34 — his best figures in IPL — as SRH were restricted to a below-par 190 for 9.
Despite the total being respectable on paper, it looked nowhere near enough once Nicholas Pooran began his onslaught. The West Indian southpaw unleashed a brutal counterattack, smashing 70 off just 26 balls, including six fours and six sixes. His fearless hitting completely dismantled the SRH bowling unit and effectively took the game away from them before the halfway mark of the chase.
Early SRH Collapse Sets the Tone
Winning the toss and batting first, SRH’s explosive opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head failed to give them the start they were hoping for. Shardul Thakur, introduced early, dismissed both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan in the same over to put LSG on top. Abhishek mistimed a pull to deep square leg, while Kishan was caught down the leg side, failing to make any impact.
Travis Head tried to resurrect the innings, going after Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi, but he rode his luck with a couple of dropped chances — one by Pooran at long-on and another difficult return catch missed by Bishnoi. His luck ran out soon after when Prince Yadav bowled him for 47, marking his maiden IPL wicket.
Middle-Order Resistance and a Bizarre Run Out
The middle order, led by Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen, tried to consolidate. Just as a partnership was brewing, Klaasen was dismissed in freak fashion — a straight drive from Reddy ricocheted off bowler Prince Yadav’s hands and onto the stumps, catching Klaasen short of his crease.
Nitish followed shortly after, bowled by Bishnoi for a run-a-ball 32, and the pressure mounted on SRH. Despite aggressive cameos from Aniket Verma (36 off 13) and Pat Cummins (18 off 4), who both cleared the ropes with ease, SRH couldn’t find the late acceleration they were hoping for. They managed just ten runs off the last two overs, finishing at 190 for 9 — a total that looked increasingly inadequate given the firepower in LSG’s batting line-up.
Pooran Power and Marsh’s Composed Knock
LSG’s chase got off to a shaky start with Mohammed Shami removing Aiden Markram early. But Nicholas Pooran arrived with clear intent. After a fortuitous boundary to get going, he teed off with monstrous sixes off Simarjeet Singh and then dismantled part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma — slog-sweeping him for two sixes in as many balls. Pooran’s dominance over Abhishek continued, with the left-hander now having hit him for seven sixes in just nine T20 deliveries.
Pooran didn’t spare Adam Zampa either, launching him for two sixes and a four in the seventh over. His fireworks brought the required rate down drastically and LSG raced to 120 in just nine overs. He brought up his half-century in only 20 balls and eventually fell lbw to Cummins, but by then the job was nearly done.
Mitchell Marsh, who played a supporting role during Pooran’s carnage, kept the scoreboard ticking. He notched up his fifty off 29 balls, hitting crisp boundaries off both seamers and spinners before also falling to Cummins for a well-made 52.
Finishing Touches from Samad
Despite losing Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni, there was no panic in the LSG camp. Former SRH player Abdul Samad walked in and finished the match in style with an unbeaten 22 off just eight balls, sealing victory with ease and giving his former franchise a bitter reminder of their own chasing prowess.
LSG’s all-round performance — highlighted by Thakur’s bowling and Pooran’s blazing knock — not only earned them a comprehensive win but also served as a strong statement of intent for the rest of the season. SRH, meanwhile, will be left to rue their missed opportunities and sloppy finish, needing to regroup quickly to regain momentum.
