LSG win!
Despite the absence of Mitchell Marsh, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bested Gujarat Titans (GT) in the battle of top orders and moved up to third on the points table.
After Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan forged a 120-run opening stand, GT managed only 60 off their last eight overs while losing six wickets. The variations of Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi (8-0-66-3) helped LSG regain lost ground on a black-soil pitch at the Ekana Stadium.
Aiden Markram and Pant, who was opening the batting for the first time in the IPL in nearly ten years, then maximised the powerplay to put LSG further ahead. While Markram fell for 58 off 31 balls, Nicholas Pooran rushed LSG towards the finish line with a six-laden 61 off 34 balls. LSG completed the job with three balls to spare, snapping GT's four-match winning streak.
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Washington castles Miller
Bowling the penultimate over, Washington knocks Miller over for 7 off 11 balls with one that keeps low and then beats Samad's outside edge first ball. Washington finishes with 4-0-28-1 after not bowling at all in his last game. GT need six off the last over. It seems like Sai Kishore will bowl the final over to Samad and Badoni.
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Rashid ends Pooran's blitz
After having launched seven sixes, Pooran goes for an eighth but ends up holing out to long-on for 61 off 34 balls. Rashid hides a wrong'un away from his swinging arc and has him hauling it to Shahrukh Khan. But is it too little, too late for GT. LSG need 26 off 28 balls.
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In focus: Nicholas Pooran
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Pooran fifty
23 Balls needed by Pooran to bring up his fourth half-century in six innings this season
After attacking Rashid and dumping Sai Kishore out of the attack, Pooran hits Siraj for a six and a four in the 13th over. There's no stopping Pooran. LSG need 41 off 42 balls with eight wickets in the shed.
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LSG line up spin
Washington and Sai Kishore conceded 12 and 24 respectively off their opening overs. Along the way, Markram brings up his fifty off 26 balls. He has certainly stepped up in Marsh's absence.
Pooran smashes spin, more specifically left-arm fingerspin. He takes Sai Kishore for three sixes off four balls
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Rashid errs in length
When Rashid pitches a googly too full, Pooran gets underneath the length and merely chips him over his head for six. It didn't matter which way Rashid was turning it as he erred in length.
The wristspinner has been bowling fuller than before in IPL 2025. Earlier this season, Al Muthu wrote about the change in Rashid's lengths.
Only Rashid will know why he is bowling fuller now and whether it is worth the trouble. His team still trusts him. GT had a slip for him deep into the third over of his spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He had Heinrich Klaasen caught in the crease with a ball that he could never hope to reach on the front foot and one that wasn't short enough to go on the back foot to. Uncertainty ruled the batter's mind as he moved to protect his stumps. His outside edge saved him from an early shower. And Rashid had that smile again. That knowing smile. He knew he had come close.
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Prasidh has Pant holing out
Pant was dropped by Buttler behind the stumps on 6. He adds 15 to his tally before slicing a catch to deep third.
Pant charges at Prasidh, but the bowler shifts his line wide of off and bowls a slower delivery into the pitch. Caught at deep third. The big-hitting Pooran joins Markram in the middle
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LSG maximise the powerplay
61 Runs scored by LSG in the powerplay for the loss of no wickets
The old ball was difficult to put away in the first innings. Wary of it, Markram and Pant capitalise on the powerplay for LSG. Both batters have been dropped but they continue to attack.
Markram shimmies out to Prasidh and puts him over long-on for six. In the final over of the powerplay, bowled by Rashid Khan, Pant slog-sweeps the wristspinner over midwicket for four.
This is the first time in IPL 2025 that both teams have gone unscathed in the powerplay
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Siraj goes for runs in powerplay
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Siraj has been excellent in the powerplay for GT this season. But when the ball isn't swinging, like today, he isn't much of a threat. He has given up 26 runs in two overs in the powerplay, including 20 off his second over.
It was an all-action over, which included a bumper which sailed over Pant and the keeper. Buttler was then in the game when Pant glanced one behind, but he couldn't hold onto the catch. Siraj is peeved.
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Pant opens for LSG
Pant didn't bat in the high-scoring bash against KKR in his previous game. Today, he has bumped himself up to the top along with Markram.
ICYMI: Marsh is out of this game because his daughter is unwell. For GT, Prasidh Krishna has been subbed in for Rutherford.
5 No of times Pant has opened the batting in 115 innings in the IPL. The last time Pant opened the batting, before today, was in 2016.
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Who should open with Markram today?
1.0K votesBreetzke as the impact sub
Give Pant a promotion
Pooran is the obvious choice - just let him face more balls for more sixes
Take a punt on Himmat Singh
GT lose their way after Gill-Sudharsan opening act
Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan struck up a 120-run opening stand for Gujarat Titans (GT), but their middle order couldn't quite launch from that platform. After Gill and Sai Sudharsan holed out in the 13th and 14th overs, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) conceded 45 off the last five overs, keeping GT to 180 for 6. GT managed only 60 runs off their last eight overs.
After GT were asked to bat first on a black-soil surface, Gill and Sai Sudharsan added 54 in the powerplay. Sai Sudharsan had kicked off the innings with a slapped four off the first ball from Shardul Thakur and then when Akash Deep overpitched one in the second over, he stretched out and drove the ball past the bowler for four more. At the other end, Gill often shimmied out of the crease to manufacture scoring opportunities.
When LSG tried to burgle an over from Aiden Markram, Gill and Sai Sudharsan spoiled their plan by taking the part-time offspinner for 15 in the eighth over. Mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi, though, showed better control and fronted up to bowl in the powerplay as well as in the death. He could've cut Sai Sudharsan's innings short on 46 had Abdul Samad held onto a catch at short cover.
Sudharsan went onto bring up his fourth half-century in six innings in IPL, soon after Gill had raised his own fifty. LSG separated GT's opening pair in the 13th over, when Gill swatted a slower cutter from Avesh Khan to long-on for 60 off 38 balls. In the next over, Bishnoi got both Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in the same over to slow GT down.
Bishnoi and Rathi had combined figures of 8-0-66-3. Thakur then closed out the innings well with his variations on a pitch that was slowing down, something that Sai Sudharsan alluded to at the innings break. Sai Sudharsan also said that some balls were keeping low, which will bring GT's three-man spin attack into the fray during their defence.
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Rathi writes his name into the wickets column
After having two catches dropped off his bowling, Rathi strikes in his final over, with Thakur holding onto the catch of Buttler at short fine leg. Gone for 16 off 14 balls. Buttler couldn't put his carrom ball away. Rathi comes away with 4-0-30-1, having fronted up to bowl in the powerplay as well as in the death. The mystery spinner is one of the breakout stars of IPL 2025.
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Bishnoi has Washington chopping on
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After leaking 27 runs in his first two overs, Bishnoi bounces back to dismiss both Sai Sudharsan and Washington in his third, which costs LSG just five runs. No Shahrukh yet. One left-hander replaces another. Rutherford in at No.5, joining Buttler in the middle
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LSG finally separate Gill and Sai Su
Avesh Khan bowls a cutter into the pitch. Gill delays his shot and swats this 122kph delivery in the air, but Markram judges it well at the long-on boundary and completes a smart catch. Gill gone for 60 off 38 balls. Finally, some respite for LSG.
In the next over, Bishnoi has Sai Sudharsan holing out for 56 off 37 balls with a wide googly.
GT are quite big on maintaining left-right combinations in the middle. So, Washington in at No.4 ahead of Shahrukh. GT also have another left-hander in Rutherford.
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Fifty for Sai Sudharsan
T20 isn't Sai Sudharsan's strongest format but he has found a way to score at a brisk pace without taking too many risks. He notches up his fourth fifty in six innings this season. This has come off 32 balls. He's also the holder of the orange cap.
LSG could've cut Sai Sudharsan's innings short on 46 had Abdul Samad not dropped him at short cover in the 11th over.
Red-ball cricket is Sai Sudharsan's strongest suit. He has had two stints with Surrey in county cricket. He has a first-class hundred for India A in Australia. It might not be too long before we see him India's Test set-up. He has already played ODI cricket for India.
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Gill, Sai Su keep up the good work
3 Number of fifty-plus opening stands put together by Sai Sudharsan and Gill in six innings in IPL 2025
Gill brings up his own fifty off 31 balls. He looks good for more. Ominous signs for LSG.
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Gill turns up the tempo in powerplay
In the lead-up to IPL 2025, Gill spoke about maximising the powerplay. In the last season, GT had the lowest run rate (7.72) in the first six overs, and Gill struck at 131.08 in the phase.
151.19 Gill's powerplay strike rate in IPL 2025
GT and Gill have remedied those powerplay numbers this IPL. GT's powerplay run rate has moved up to 9.08 and Gill has struck at over 150 during this phase.
GT are 54 for 0 in six overs.
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Sai Sudharsan, Gill in bright start for GT
B Sai Sudharsan came into IPL 2025 after undergoing surgery for sports hernia. He looked out of sorts in the Ranji knockout fixture against Vidarbha on his comeback, but has certainly hit the ground running in IPL 2025.
When Shardul Thakur dragged the first ball of the game short and wide of off, Sai Sudharsan latched onto it in a flash and cracked it away between point and cover. Thakur had packed the off-side field, but Sai Sudharsan still found the gap. Then when Akash Deep overpitched one on the stumps, Sai Sudharsan drives the ball straight past him for four more.
Gill is also showing attacking intent at the other end, jumping out of the crease against both Thakur and Akash Deep. GT are 26 for 0 in three overs.
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LSG opt to bowl, Marsh out
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl, on a black-soil pitch, at the Ekana Stadium. Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill said that he would have preferred to bowl first as well.
LSG will be without Mitchell Marsh, their second-highest run-getter in IPL 2025 and third highest overall behind Nicholas Pooran and B Sai Sudharsan, who will be in action on Saturday. Marsh missed out because his daughter is unwell, according to Pant. LSG brought in Delhi batter Himmat Singh in place of Marsh, but he was listed at No.4 in their team sheet. Pooran was carded to open along with Aiden Markram.
Himmat was among the leading scorers in the inaugural Delhi Premier League. GT also made one change, with offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar returning in place of left-arm quick Kulwant Khejroliya. Washington shores up a spin attack that includes his Tamil Nadu team-mate R Sai Kishore and Afghanistan's ace spinner Rashid Khan.
LSG bowl-first XI: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Nicholas Pooran, 3 Rishabh Pant(capt, wk), 4 Himmat Singh 5, David Miller, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Akash Deep, 9 Digvesh Singh Rathi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Ravi Bishnoi
Impact subs: Ayush Badoni, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Shamar Joseph
GT bat-first XI: 1 B Sai Sudharsan, 2 Shubman Gill(capt), 3 Jos Buttler(wk), 4 Washington Sundar, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Impact subs: Prasidh Krishna, Mahipal Lomror, Nishant Sindhu, Anuj Rawat, Jayant Yadav
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Which top order will score more runs today?
2.8K votesMarsh, Markram and Pooran
Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler
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Get to know Digvesh Rathi
Digvesh Rathi, the 25-year-old the mystery spinner from Delhi, has certainly caught the eye in his maiden IPL season with his variations and celebrations. Hemant Brar spoke to Rathi's coaches to chart his journey into the biggest T20 league.
Digvesh bowled offspin with a typical offspinner's action when he first came to our academy around 2017. He was 17 then and, in his very first year, took 40-odd wickets in 14 matches for our club Delhi Blues
He is a completely different bowler now. He hides the ball behind his back in his run-up and bowls at a much quicker pace. His carrom ball is very difficult to pick as he uses a similar grip for his googly as well. That's how he bowled Naman Dhir in the Mumbai Indians game
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Welcome!
Having won four in a row, Gujarat Titans (GT) will look to extend their winning streak to five games and consolidate their position at the top of the points table. As for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), they're stuck in the mid-table logjam. Ekana has rolled out a black-soil surface for this game. Both teams have excellent spinners. Who will come out on top?
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