Lucknow Super Giants silenced all doubts with a dominant run chase, storming to their first victory of IPL 2025.
Skipper Rishabh Pant's decision to bowl first raised a few eyebrows, especially after Sunrisers Hyderabd racked up a record-breaking 286 at this venue in IPL 2024. However, LSG backed their firepower and delivered a stunning performance.
Nicholas Pooran led the charge, dishing out a taste of SRH's own medicine with his ferocious hitting, while Mitchell Marsh provided perfect support.
With an all-out attacking approach, LSG made light work of the chase, proving they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
A look at the best knocks:
Nicholas Pooran
Pooran gave SRH a taste of their own medicine, making their 190 run total look minuscule with a blistering 70 off just 26 balls.
His explosive knock, laced with six fours and six sixes, powered LSG to a dominant five wicket win in just 16.1 overs.
By the time Pat Cummins trapped him lbw in the ninth over, LSG needed just 71 from 68 balls, and the result was all but sealed.
Pooran's six-hitting prowess has been on full display this season -- he has already cleared the ropes 13 times in just two outings.
Against SRH, he wasted no time, launching two massive sixes off Simarjeet Singh early in his innings. A misfield at the boundary had already given him an extra boost, and from there, he never looked back.
Teaming up with Mitchell Marsh (52 off 31), Pooran stitched a match-winning 116 run stand for the second wicket, accelerating LSG's chase with effortless stroke play. He reached his half-century in just 18 balls -- the fastest of IPL 2025 and his fourth in under 20 balls in IPL history. Only Travis Head and Jake Fraser-McGurk (three each) come close to his record.
Pooran particularly took a liking to Adam Zampa, slog-sweeping him for a huge six to bring up his fifty. That over alone yielded 19 runs as LSG blew SRH away. Harshal Patel's nine-ball over further fuelled the momentum before Cummins finally broke the partnership with a fuller delivery that trapped Pooran in front.
By then, the damage was done. Pooran's innings, played at a staggering strike rate of 269.23, ensured LSG's victory was a mere formality.
With 145 runs in two games, he also became the tournament's leading run scorer amd was rewarded the Orange Cap, with Marsh closely following at 124.
Mitch Marsh
The Australian all-rounder ensured that LSG's chase never lost steam, stitching together a breathtaking 116 run partnership off just 43 balls with Pooran.
Marsh wasted no time settling in, launching Mohammad Shami for two sixes in the Powerplay. Even after Pooran's dismissal, he continued the assault, bringing up his second consecutive IPL 2025 half-century in just 29 balls. He showcased his brute power against Shami again, smashing two more sixes in an 18-run over.
With the target well within reach, Marsh further accelerated, dispatching Cummins for back-to-back boundaries to raise his fifty. Though Cummins eventually had him caught at long on, the damage was long done. LSG needed just a handful of runs to seal the win.
Despite being cleared to play as a specialist batter, Marsh has already emerged as a vital cog in LSG's campaign, delivering two match-defining fifties as their Impact Player. His calculated aggression and ability to maintain momentum proved instrumental in making a challenging 190-run chase look effortless.
Travis Head
Head (47 off 28) looked in ominous touch from the outset, using his brute power to dominate the LSG bowlers. The Australian southpaw took full advantage of Avesh Khan's wayward bowling, smashing two sixes and a four in an 18-run fourth over to set the tone for SRH's innings.
Head enjoyed his share of luck. He was dropped twice in quick succession -- first by NPooran at long on off Ravi Bishnoi's first delivery, and then by Bishnoi himself, who couldn't hold onto a tough return catch later in the over. Head made LSG pay for those errors, launching Bishnoi for a six over covers in between the missed chances.
But his fortune eventually ran out. Young pacer Prince Yadav, playing his first IPL game, produced a dream moment by rattling Head's stumps, claiming his maiden wicket in the tournament.
Aniket Verma
Young Aniket Verma provided SRH with a much-needed late flourish, smashing a whirlwind 36 off just 13 balls, laced with five towering sixes. His fearless hitting kept the scoreboard ticking, but his explosive cameo was cut short by leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi, with David Miller taking a sharp catch at long off.
Verma signaled his intent early, launching Bishnoi down the ground in the 13th over before punishing the leg-spinner with two more sixes in a 15-run 15th over. He continued his assault in the next over, dispatching Rathi for back-to-back sixes, but the bowler had the last laugh as Verma perished trying to clear the ropes again.
SRH's aggressive approach remained unchanged, with batters relentlessly going for big hits. However, their ultra-attacking strategy also led to regular wickets. After Verma's dismissal, Pat Cummins walked in at No. 8 and made an immediate impact, smashing three consecutive sixes off his first three deliveries. But his fireworks were short-lived as he fell on the fourth ball.
Despite their big-hitting spree, SRH managed just 10 runs in the final two overs, falling short of the explosive finish they were aiming for.
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