LSG vs SRH: Sun Sets on Lucknow: SRH Crushed LSG's Playoff Hopes
LSG vs SRH, Match No- 61: In a crucial encounter at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad locked horns with Lucknow Super Giants in a high-stakes IPL clash. SRH won the toss and opted to bowl first.
At the end of an entertaining contest, it was Sunrisers Hyderabad who came out on top, defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets and knocking them out of the playoff race.
LSG vs SRH Match Highlights
Toss: SRH won the toss and asked LSG to bat first.
LSG Playing11: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Singh Rathi, William O'Rourke (Impact- Shardul Thakur)
SRH Playing11: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins (c), Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga (Impact- Atharv Taide)
Mitch Marsh and Markram’s opening duo gave a flying start to Lucknow’s innings. The two openers smashed 108 runs in the first 10 overs without losing any wickets. Mitch Marsh posted another fifty in typical "Marshy" fashion, and Markram played his role perfectly, with both batters scoring 60-odd runs at a strike rate of around 160.
The openers set the platform, but LSG lost their way after the 10-over mark. Pant promoting himself ahead of Pooran backfired. Marsh, Markram, and Pooran were the only three batters from the LSG camp to register double-digit scores. However, 35 runs from the last 2 overs helped Lucknow Super Giants cross the 200-run mark.
SRH began their chase with impact substitute Atharva Taide and Abhishek Sharma. LSG got rid of Atharva in the second over, but Abhishek Sharma proved to be the real threat. His early fireworks powered SRH to 72 runs in the powerplay, putting them firmly in control.
Digvesh Rathee, however, dismissed both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, giving LSG a glimmer of hope. But Klaasen and Kamindu didn't let LSG turn the game around. The two batters showed patience and intent when it mattered most. Though Thakur found the edge of Klaasen and Kamindu Mendis pulled his hamstring, Aniket Verma ensured the result went SRH’s way. Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets.
This loss not only cost LSG two valuable points at this stage but also eliminated them from the playoff race. LSG has now won 5 and lost 7 matches. Even if they win their remaining two games, it won’t be enough to make the cut. However, they could still play the role of party spoilers for the Mumbai Indians.