Markram, Badoni hit fifties, take Lucknow Super Giants to 180 for 5 against Rajasthan Royals

Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni struck half centuries to help Lucknow Super Giants recover from initial batting slump and post a competitive 180 for 5 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals here on Saturday.

Markram (66 off 45 balls) and Ayush Badoni (50 off 34 balls) stitched 76 runs for the fourth wicket to resurrect the LSG innings after they were reduced to 54 for 3 in the eighth over.

Captain Rishabh Pant’s decision to bat first after winning the toss looked like it was backfiring but Markram and Badoni rescued the visiting side with some solid batting.

Abdul Samad then played a cameo of 30 not out off just 10 balls down the order, hitting six fours from the final over bowled by Sandeep Sharma.

For the Royals, Wanindu Hasaranga (2/31) was the most successful bowler while Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma took one wicket apiece.

Archer conceded two fours to Markram in the first over but he came back to dismiss in-form opener Mitchell Marsh (4) in his second over with Shimron Hetmyer taking a fine catch after the batter edged the ball.

Markram was going strong at the other end but wickets fell around him with Sandeep getting rid of Nicholas Pooran (11), the leading run-scorer, leg-before after the batter committed far too early to a slower delivery.

LSG were 46 for 2 after powerplay and they were in a spot of bother in the eighth over with Pant falling cheaply for just three runs after his fine 63 against Chennai Super Kings. Before that, his highest score was 21.

Pant miscued a Hasaranga delivery that bounced a bit more than expected and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel did the rest.

With Markram smashing two consecutive sixes in the 10th over, LSG were 76/3 at the half-way mark.

Markram completed his fifty in the 11th over, taking three runs off Sandeep as he steadied the LSG innings along with Badoni. The duo’s 76-run stand ended when Markram holed out to Riyan Parag at long-off in the 16th over bowled by Hasaranga.

LSG would have wanted Badoni to carry on longer but he got out just after reaching his fifty in the 18th over, caught by Shubham Dubey off the bowling Tushar Deshpande.

Earlier, regular captain Sanju Samson was sidelined due to a side strain he sustained in the previous game with Parag stepping in as the stand-in skipper.