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Right then, that is it from this game and we now start to head into another weekend in IPL 2025 with a bang. The next game is dubbed as the 'Southern Derby' and it is a fiery fixture as Chennai Super Kings welcome Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai in Match number 8. That game will be played on Friday, 28 March and will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but as usual, you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up. Cheers!

Shardul Thakur is PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his impressive 4/34, and these are also his best figures in IPL. He says that he had signed to play County cricket, but while he was playing the Ranji Trophy Knockouts, Zaheer Khan called him to join LSG as they were looking for a potential replacement for the injured seamers. He feels that the ups and downs happen in cricket, and he is happy to be back in the IPL and make an impactful contribution to the team’s win. His hopes have always been high despite not getting picked in the auction. Mentions that there was a swing up front, and he bowled those full tosses as he didn’t want to give any chances to the batter with wide outside off bowling. States that bowlers have to work really hard on these kind of pitches, and he thinks that pitches should be prepared for both batters and bowlers to keep in mind to have a balanced game. He tells that the pitch, along with the impact player rule, isn’t helping the bowlers much in IPL.

Lucknow Super Giants skipper, Rishabh Pant, expresses a big relief in getting the win and emphasizes the importance of sticking to the processes they set from the start. He mentions that they don’t get too high after a win or too low after a loss, instead focusing on taking it one game at a time. He acknowledges that injuries to their pacers were a concern but highlights how Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, and Prince Yadav stepped up when needed. He adds that Nicholas Pooran has been given the freedom to express himself, which has paid off. He is pleased with the group’s preparation and feels the team is coming together well. Says that while they haven’t played their best cricket yet, they are focused on moving forward one step at a time.

The Presentation ceremony...

Nicholas Pooran, the wrecker-in-chief of that chase, is up for a quick chat as he also becomes the leading run-getter of the season. Adds that he doesn’t plan that well for hitting those sixes, instead, he tries to get into a good position and tries to play the ball on its merit. He feels that he got a nice opportunity today to bat, and it was a nice wicket to bat on. Mentions that they made strategies before coming out here as this ground generally offers good batting surfaces, and they knew that if they didn’t lose too many wickets in Powerplay, then they would chase down any total. States that about his incredible bat speed as he is blessed with this natural talent and is happy to get runs. Concludes that it is a long tournament, and it is nice to see Mitchell Marsh getting form and he likes to bat with him and got an important partnership with him.

The SRH skipper, Pat Cummins, is in for a chat. He mentions that the wicket played a bit differently compared to the other day, but still remained a very good surface. Shares that the initial target was anything over 200, but with the cutters gripping a little, they are content with how they went about their innings. He acknowledges that LSG bowled really well and that a few things didn’t go their way, but in the end, they are happy to have reached 190. He adds that they always hope for one batter to kick on and get a big score, like Ishan Kishan did in the previous game. States that while they will review the game to see what could have been done better, it’s a long tournament. He adds that it's about riding the highs and lows, and they will move on quickly from this loss.

Earlier in the game, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and put the Sunrisers into bat, which everyone thought was a bit risky, given the recent history of the home side batting first at this venue. However, Shardul Thakur gave Pant a much-needed peace of mind as he picked up a couple of big wickets in consecutive deliveries. Travis Head counter-attacked well but got out before his 50. The spinners and Prince Yadav kept things relatively quiet, and with the unfortunate run out of Heinrich Klaasen, SRH needed someone to up the tempo. There were a couple of quickfire cameos but not a single big score that could propel them to a defendable total. Thakur and Avesh closed things out well and kept SRH below the 200 mark. In reply, it was another massive stand between Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh that set up the chase for the away team, who finished things off with 23 balls to spare. Let's now head to a couple of interviews...

Sunrisers Hyderabad were under-par with the runs they had on the board and needed wickets in the Powerplay. Mohammad Shami sent Markram packing early on, but that was as good as it got for SRH as they faced a barrage of 4s and 6s from Pooran and Marsh, and Nicky P didn't spare a single bowler. Skipper Pat Cummins did provide some hope with a couple of wickets, and then the likes of Zampa and Harshal also chimed in, but the boundaries didn't stop for more than 10 balls and it all ended pretty soon for the Sunrisers as their former player, Abdul Samad hit an unbeaten 22 off 8 balls.

Needing 191 for the win, even on a surface where the average score in recent times has been well over 200, can be tricky, and you need runs in the Powerplay. And even after losing Aiden Markram early on, LSG managed to do just that. Nicholas Pooran was ruthless, and Mitchell Marsh got the boundaries away whenever required as the two stitched up a 116-run stand off just 43 balls. They did start to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Abdul Samad came in towards the end and just knocked off the required runs in a flash, along with David Miller, who hit the winning runs. Pooran was the star with a stellar 70 off just 26 balls!

The Super Giants are off the mark in IPL 2025 and even though there were a few jitters late on, they had done more than enough in the first half of the chase that it didn't matter much in the end and Abdul Samad even made sure that the net run rate also got a nice little boost. The Sunrisers, though, suffer a first home defeat of the season and will be disappointed with that effort overall.

FOUR! And that's that! Lucknow Super Giants have their first win of the season! Ishan starts with a flighted delivery from around the wicket, on off, Miller leans ahead and goes inside out over cover. The fielder in the deep gets around to his left but the ball evades him. The Super Giants win by 5 wickets with 23 balls to spare!

Strategic break! Right then, just a couple of runs needed for Lucknow Super Giants to pick up a huge win away from home and they have been ahead during the whole course of the game, right from the moment Shardul Thakur got those two wickets early on. With the bat as well, the top order has done enough to ease the pressure and SRH are heading towards a rare home defeat in the last two seasons.

Very full, on off, Abdul Samad winds up but can't get under the ball. Drills it straight back to Zampa, who makes a sharp stop.

Serves a googly, short and on middle, David nudges it off the back foot to the right of short fine leg for one.

Flatter and shorter, on middle, Abdul Samad presses back and jabs it to the right of mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Powerfully struck! Looped up, slower through the air, on off, Samad thrashes this full ball down the ground and beats the diving long off to his right for a boundary.

SIX! Tonked! Floated up, right in the slot, on off, Samad gets his hands through the line and pumps it over long off for a six.