Pooran’s blitz powers LSG win
Shardul Thakur's four-wicket haul and a sensational display of power-hitting from Nicholas Pooran set up a five-wicket win for Lucknow Super Giants over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL match here on Thursday.
Shardul continued his dream comeback returning with figures of 4/34 to help LSG restrict a power-packed SRH to 190 for nine before Pooran (70 off 26; 6x4s, 6x6s) displayed his 360 degree hitting skills.
Pooran shared quick-fire match-winning 116 runs for the second wicket with Marsh (52 off 31) to help LSG chase down the target in 16.1 overs.
LSG didn't have the best start to their chase as they lost Aiden Markram early. But thereafter, it was the effortless hitting from Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran that helped LSG surge ahead.
Pooran in particular was at his attacking best as he mostly dealt in sixes, clobbering Simarjeet and Abhishek Sharma for huge sixes during his knock, mostly towards the square boundary.
SRH just found it difficult to stop Pooran as he didn't even spare Cummins, hitting him for two fours in his first over to reach 77 for 1 in the powerplay.
Pooran brought up the fastest fifty of this season in just 18 balls with another huge six over square leg of Adam Zampa.
Pooran's magnificent knock was cut short by Cummins, trapped in front of the wickets in the ninth over.
After Pooran's dismissal, Marsh took the onus on him and brought up his half-century of just 29 balls.
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant (15 off 15) could not do much but Abdul Samad played a entertaining cameo to get his side home.
Earlier opting bowl, Shardul (4/34) gave LSG a fiery start, removing Abishek Sharma and last match centurion Ishan Kishan in consecutive balls in the third over.
Shardul sent packing Sharma with a short delivery before getting Ishan Kishan caught behind off an innocuous delivery down the leg side.
Travis Head (47 off 28), however, looked in ominous form as he took the attack to the opposition and used his brute power to deal in boundaries and sixes.
Head was particularly brutal against Avesh Khan, who sprayed the ball on both sides, with the Australian hitting him for two sixes and one four to pick up 18 runs in the fourth over.
Head, however, was lucky as he got two reprieves.
Head skied Ravi Bishnoi's first ball down the ground, and Pooran stationed at long-on had all the time in the world to get under the ball and take a simple catch but the West Indian put it down.
The missed chance proved costly as Head slammed Bishnoi over covers for a maximum.
Bishnoi had another chance to claim the wicket of Head in the fifth ball of the sixth over but he failed to latch on to a difficult return catch. But Head's luck finally ran out when fast bowler Prince Yadav disturbed his timbers to pick up his first IPL wicket.
Henrich Klaasen (26 off 17) was looking dangerous but got out in a bizarre fashion, run out by Yadav off his own bowling as a straight drive from Nitish Reddy ricocheted on to the sumps from the bowlers follow through.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins (18 off 4) hit three sixes of his first three balls before departing.
Kohli constantly improving game: Karthik
Chennai: Opting to bowl first, Shardul Thakur gave LSG a dream start, removing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in consecutive balls before SRH managed to post 190/9. Travis Head (47 off 28) provided early fireworks, while Aniket Verma’s 13-ball 36 and Pat Cummins’ three sixes off four balls added late runs. In reply, LSG lost Aiden Markram early, but Pooran’s 18-ball fifty and Mitchell Marsh’s 52 off 31 guided them home in just 16.1 overs. Pooran’s 116-run stand with Marsh dominated SRH’s bowling attack, sealing a convincing win. With this performance, LSG look strong in IPL 2025, while SRH will need to regroup after a tough loss.
