Lucknow Super Giants’ Mitchell Marsh plays a shot during IPL 2025 Twenty20 Championship cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket stadium in Hyderabad on March 27, 2025.
| Photo Credit: KVS Giri
On the eve of the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a question about Lucknow Super Giants’ depleted bowling resources miffed Mitchell Marsh. “I don’t see it as a lack of depth,” came the quick retort. His team got the memo as its bowlers threw a spanner into the ultra-aggressive steamroller of the home franchise. Nicholas Pooran and Marsh then helped seal a five-wicket win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday (March 27, 2025) to help LSG open its account in IPL 2025.
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‘Who will stop Travishek’ was the question on everyone’s lips leading into this season. Shardul Thakur took a leaf out of the Pat Cummins playbook as he silenced the home crowd after dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan off consecutive deliveries in his second over.
With the onus squarely on his shoulders, Travis Head took Avesh Khan to the cleaners. The Australian got lucky as Pooran dropped a regulation chance at long on off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling. Prince Yadav ensured he didn’t stick around too long, beating a swinging Head to leave his stumps in disarray. Prince registered 1/29, conceding just two boundaries, after having leaked 47 in the opener against Delhi Capitals.
Below-par total
LSG snuffed out blooming partnerships in regular intervals. Aniket Verma’s 36 off 13 and three big sixes by Cummins meant SRH finished with 190 for nine, a total well below par for an otherwise trigger-happy line-up.
While Mohammed Shami removed Aiden Markram for just one run, it was a false dawn as former SRH men Pooran and Marsh took LSG to 77 for one at the end of PowerPlay, its second-highest in the IPL. The duo gave the home side a taste of its own dose as it stitched a 116-run stand to set up the chase.
Cummins fought back, removing both batters across two overs. Despite a few stutters, another former SRH man, Abdul Samad, took LSG to an easy win with 23 balls to spare.
Published – March 27, 2025 07:19 pm IST