Lucknow Super Giants silenced all doubts with a dominant run chase, storming to their first victory of IPL 2025.
Shardul Thakur's fiery spell and Nicholas Pooran's breathtaking power-hitting propelled Lucknow Super Giants to a commanding 5 wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2025 clash on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
LSG Vs SRH: The Best Bowlers
Shardul Thakur
From going unsold at the IPL 2025 auction to delivering a match-winning performance, Shardul Thakur made a statement with a sensational four wicket haul that powered Lucknow Super Giants to a 5 wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On a night when LSG needed early breakthroughs to stop the marauding SRH batting unit, Thakur rose to the occasion with career-best figures of 4/34. His spell not only rattled the hosts but also helped him achieve a personal milestone -- becoming the latest entrant into the elite 100-wicket club in IPL history.
Bowling with intent after LSG opted to field, Thakur struck in the third over, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and last-match centurion Ishan Kishan off successive balls.
Abhishek, who had fallen to Thakur twice before in T20s, mistimed a pull off a sharp bouncer straight to deep square leg. Next ball, Kishan, who was coming off a blistering hundred, feathered a leg-side delivery to the 'keeper, giving LSG a dream start.
Thakur nearly had a hat-trick as Nitish Kumar Reddy barely survived a yorker. Thakur was relentless, consistently troubling the SRH batters with his variations. He nearly had a hat-trick, firing in a yorker that Reddy just managed to dig out.
He later returned to dismiss Mohammed Shami, cleaning him up to complete his four-wicket haul and further dent SRH's scoring rate and ensured they fell well short of the 200-mark.
LSG's bowlers kept up the pressure, restricting SRH to 190 for nine -- a total that ultimately proved insufficient.
Prince Yadav
Youngster Prince Yadav couldn't have asked for a better way to announce himself in the IPL.
After a shaky start, conceding a boundary off his first ball, he bounced back in style by dismantling Travis Head's stumps to claim his maiden IPL wicket.
Head, who had been in ominous touch, was looking to dominate when Yadav slipped one right under his bat, breaching his defense and sending the off-stump cartwheeling. The wicket was a massive breakthrough for LSG, bringing them back into the contest after SRH's aggressive start.
Yadav, bowling his full quota on the trot, impressed with his variations -- mixing up full deliveries with wide slower-ball yorkers. His disciplined spell was capped off by a sharp piece of fielding, as he reacted quickly to a straight drive from Reddy to run out Heinrich Klaasen, who was backing up too far.
It was a debut spell to remember for the young pacer, as he not only removed one of SRH's most dangerous batters but also showed maturity beyond his years in handling the pressure of the big stage.
Yadav finished with impressive figures of 4-0-29-1, a performance that will surely boost his confidence going forward.
Pat Cummins
Nicholas Pooran led the charge, dishing out a taste of SRH's own medicine with his ferocious hitting, while Mitchell Marsh provided perfect support.
Pooran's 70 off 26 balls, laced with six sixes and six fours, dismantled the SRH bowling attack. Marsh, playing the anchor role, kept the momentum going with a well-paced half-century.
Pat Cummins, however, tried his best to keep SRH in the contest. Finishing with figures of 3-0-29-2, he was the only bowler who created breakthroughs at crucial junctures.
First, he got Pooran's massive wicket in the ninth over, trapping him lbw just when LSG looked unstoppable. Later, he removed Marsh with a well-disguised delivery that the Australian could only chip to long on.
Despite Cummins' efforts, the damage had already been done. LSG's all-out attacking approach ensured they chased down the target with ease, proving they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
© 2025