Shardul Thakur’s fiery 4-34 and Nicholas Pooran’s record-breaking half-century powered Lucknow Super Giants to a commanding five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday.
Thakur's early breakthroughs, including successive dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, restricted Hyderabad to 190-9 after Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant opted to chase.
In reply, Pooran’s explosive 70 off 26 balls, along with Mitchell Marsh’s 52 off 31, propelled Lucknow to victory in just 16.1 overs.
Pooran and Marsh Dominate the Chase
Hyderabad’s Mohammed Shami struck early, dismissing Aiden Markram in the opening over. However, Pooran and Marsh turned the tide with a 116-run stand off just 43 balls.
Pooran smashed the fastest half-century of the season off just 18 balls, reaching the milestone with a six off Adam Zampa. Lucknow raced to 96-1 in just seven overs, leaving Hyderabad struggling to regain control.
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Captain Pat Cummins briefly revived Hyderabad’s hopes by trapping Pooran leg-before and later dismissing Marsh, who had just completed his half-century with consecutive boundaries.
Despite the late dismissals of Pant (15) and Ayush Badoni (9), Abdul Samad wrapped up the chase in style, hammering 22 off eight balls, including two sixes and two fours.
Thakur Dismantles Hyderabad’s Top Order
Earlier, Thakur’s fiery spell derailed Hyderabad’s batting lineup. He removed Sharma and Kishan in successive deliveries, nearly claiming a hat-trick.
Travis Head counter-attacked with 47 off 28 balls, but his momentum was halted by Prince Yadav (1-29) in the eighth over.
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The only late resistance came from Aniket Verma, who smashed five sixes in a 13-ball 36. However, Hyderabad failed to build substantial partnerships, managing only 190-9, a stark contrast to their record 286-run total at the same venue last Sunday.
Lucknow Registers First Win
With this win, Lucknow bounced back from their opening defeat to Delhi Capitals, securing their first points of the season.
Source: With input from agency