Sai Kishore to Ayush Badoni, SIX, now he muslces the slog sweep way over square leg to seal the game
During the IPL 2025 encounter at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow Rishabh Pant as LSG captain decided to start the game by sending GT to bat. The Lucknow Super Giants team plays without international player Mitchell Marsh because of personal circumstances. Since their four consecutive victory streak GT now leads at the top of the table. LSG occupy sixth position in the middle of the table with six points as they display an upward trend.
Digvesh Rathi has been one of the finds of the tournament, with his crafty leg-spin and his refusal to back down in the face of fines following his notebook celebration. LSG fans will be hoping his passion and fervour translates to the rest of the bowling group, in particular the pacers. GT’s stacked top order batting means early wickets is the name of the game: allow Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, or Jos Buttler to fall into a rhythm, and it has spelt trouble for teams so far this tournament.
This battle will come down to GT’s bowling, with the form of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Sai Kishore, trying to keep Marsh, Pooran, Rishabh Pant and company quiet. Do LSG have a plan B if their in-form batters falter? They will need Rishabh Pant in particular to stand up and take some responsibility after a horrendously subpar start to the season, one which saw him demote himself and not even bat in his team’s effort of 238 against KKR in their previous game.
GT will see Rashid Khan refinding his form as key as well. Pooran in particular has been trigger happy against spinners, whacking even Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy all over the ground at the Eden Gardens. Rashid hasn’t been his same self, expensive at times and lacking the same wicket threat, but he put in his best IPL performance with ball in a good long while in GT’s last match against RR. The two wickets will give him confidence, and confidence will be key for the Afghanistan talisman as he will be given the responsibility of outfoxing and containing the brutality of Pooran.
Lucknow Super Giants XI vs GT: Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi.
Gujarat Titans XI vs LSG: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj.
Washington Sundar to Miller, out Bowled!! Oh this one keeps so low and goes through Miller. He wanted to pull, ball skidded and kept low
Rashid Khan to Ayush Badoni, FOUR, to backward square leg
Overs summary (12-16:): 34/2- Prasidh breaks the 58-run stand, Markram OUT for 58. - 23-ball fifty for Pooran, his 4th this season. - Siraj leaks 15 runs and finishes with 0/50.- Another impressive outing for Prasidh - 4-0-26-2. - Washington drops Badoni, Rashid removes Pooran next ball.
Rashid Khan to Pooran, out Caught by Shahrukh Khan!! That is a mishit and SRK takes it. Simple chance.
Prasidh to Pooran, 1 run, shortish delivery, Pooran mistimes the pull to deep mid-wicket
Siraj to Pooran, FOUR, to deep backward point
Prasidh to Markram, out Caught by Shubman Gill!! Prasidh makes an impact again in the middle overs. Wasn't an overly good ball. Just length into the wicket but he was smart to let the wicket help him. Markram was through the shot a tad early and it almost came off the bottom of the bat. It went so high and Gill had it covered nicely running to the right at long-off.
Sai Kishore to Markram, 1 run, flatter delivery on the leg stump, Markram clips it to backward square leg and that's two fifties in two games here at the Ekana this season for Aiden Markram
Washington Sundar to Pooran, SIX, right arm offie turning the ball away from the left-hander? No problem says Nicky P!
Prasidh to Pant, out Caught by Washington Sundar!! That is high, taken at third man. Prasidh does his magic again outside the powerplay. He goes into the wicket again but keeps pace on. Rishabh gave the charge and gave too much room as well. Just a rash slap as he wanted to go aggressive, the top edge travelled nice and stayed cozy into Washi's hands.
Prasidh to Pant, FOUR, to deep mid-wicket
Rashid Khan to Markram, FOUR, again shortish and just outside off, Markram goes on the back foot and thumps the cut, wide of cover-point and it runs away
Arshad Khan to Markram, FOUR, Markram gets this away. He makes room and slashes the length delivery on middle, well over backward point and it flies away, one bounce over the ropes
Arshad Khan to Markram, 1 run, full on off, Markram gets forward to drive to mid-on and Pant gets there beating the direct-hit
Thakur to Rahul Tewatia, out Caught by Markram!! Two in two for Thakur. A low full-toss well outside off, Rahul Tewatia moves across and swings, it's high on the bat and Markram won't drop that. Runs back from mid-on and takes it well. Thakur on a hat-trick now.
Thakur to Rutherford, out Lbw!! That is plumb. Good delivery too, Rutherford shuffles across outside off as he knows the line will be there, but Thakur cleverly bowls a low full-toss on middle-stump, Rutherford flicks and misses and that's plumb. Thakur pumps his fist and shouts a come on.
Thakur to Shahrukh Khan, SIX, to backward square leg
Avesh Khan to Rutherford, FOUR, to fine leg
Digvesh Rathi to Buttler, out Caught by Thakur!!
Digvesh Rathi to Rutherford, 1 run, dropped by Pant.
Ravi Bishnoi to Rutherford, 1 run, the googly but way too short outside off, Rutherford goes on the back foot and cuts to sweeper cover
Ravi Bishnoi to Washington Sundar, out Bowled!! Now Washington Sundar goes. Ravi Bishnoi punches the air in delight and he is pumped. A length delivery outside off, Sundar tries to dab it down to short third man, a thick inside-edge and it clips the off-stump. Just enough for the bail to fall off. All of a sudden LSG are back in this after a big opening stand.
Ravi Bishnoi to Sai Sudharsan, out Caught by Pooran!! Good catch at extra-cover. Bishnoi has a wicket. It's a wicket first ball after the break. How often have we seen that this season. It's tossed up full outside off, maybe the ball held up on the pitch a bit, that foils the timing of Sai Sudharsan who gets forward to loft and miscues it, Pooran goes back and leaps a little to take a good catch. Both the set batters gone in quick succession.
Avesh Khan to Shubman Gill, out Caught by Markram!! In the air and taken! 122.3kph, full and in the slot, Shubman Gill shapes to loft it over long-on.
Digvesh Rathi to Sai Sudharsan, FOUR, rare bad ball from Digvesh Rathi! Full and down leg as the batter backs away. The left-hander gets low and sweeps hard hitting it square of the short fine leg fielder. 10th IPL fifty for Sai Sudharsan!
Digvesh Rathi to Sai Sudharsan, no run
Digvesh Rathi to Shubman Gill, 1 run, 100.5kph, carrom ball, bunted to long-off and the single brings up Shubman Gill's half-century!
Markram to Shubman Gill, SIX, 93.7kph, excellent use of the feet! Gill dances down the track
Ravi Bishnoi to Shubman Gill, FOUR, 101.3kph, quick
Avesh Khan to Sai Sudharsan, SIX, Avesh greeted with a six! 129.2kph,
Akash Deep to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run, to backward square leg
Digvesh Rathi to Sai Sudharsan, FOUR, 90.7kph, Digvesh Rathi errs and Sai Sudharsan pounces.
Akash Deep to Shubman Gill, FOUR, shot! 139.3kph, length ball, Shubman Gill shimmies down the track, moves leg-side in the process and punches it firmly through extra cover. Reaches the fence in a jiffy