Date & Time: Saturday, April 12, 2025, 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Match 26 of the IPL 2025 witnessed a thrilling encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) successfully chased down a target of 181 to defeat the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 6 wickets with 3 balls to spare. This victory marked LSG’s third consecutive win and halted GT’s four-match winning streak.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Ekana Cricket Stadium is generally known to be a balanced surface that tends to slow down as the game progresses, offering assistance to spinners. The average first innings score at this venue in IPL is around 165. While the initial overs might offer some assistance to the seamers with the new ball, batsmen who can adapt to the changing pace of the pitch usually find success.
In today’s match, the pitch seemed to play true for the most part. While the GT openers capitalized on the conditions early on, the LSG bowlers, particularly the spinners, managed to pull things back in the middle overs. The ball did hold up slightly as the innings progressed, making aggressive hitting a bit challenging towards the end. However, it remained a decent batting surface overall, as evidenced by LSG successfully chasing a competitive total.
Key Pitch Characteristics:
- Balanced Surface: Offers something for both batsmen and bowlers.
- Slower as it Progresses: Spinners become more effective in the middle and later overs.
- Initial Seam Movement: Fast bowlers might get some assistance with the new ball.
- Decent for Chasing: As seen in today’s match.
Player Analysis: Gujarat Titans (GT) – 180/6 (20 overs)
GT got off to a fantastic start but faltered in the middle overs, ultimately falling short of what could have been a much higher total.
Key Batsmen:
- Shubman Gill (c) (60 off 38 balls): The GT captain led from the front with a well-paced half-century, providing a solid platform at the top. He struck 6 fours during his innings.
- Sai Sudharsan (56 off 37 balls): Continuing his consistent form, Sudharsan notched up another half-century, forming a formidable opening partnership with Gill. His innings included 6 fours.
- Jos Buttler (wk) (9 off 9 balls): Coming in at number 3, Buttler couldn’t capitalize on the strong start and was dismissed relatively cheaply.
- Sherfane Rutherford (11 off 6 balls): Tried to provide some late impetus but fell in the final over. He hit 1 six.
- Shahrukh Khan (11 off 6 balls):* Remained unbeaten, hitting a six in the final over to take GT to 180.
- Rahul Tewatia (0 off 1 ball): Was dismissed on the first ball he faced in the final over.
Key Bowlers:
- Prasidh Krishna (2/26 in 4 overs): Was the most successful bowler for GT, picking up the crucial wickets of Rishabh Pant and Aiden Markram.
- Rashid Khan (1/33 in 4 overs): Picked up the wicket of the dangerous Nicholas Pooran but was a bit expensive by his standards.
- Washington Sundar (1/20 in 2 overs): Provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing David Miller in the penultimate over.
- Mohammed Siraj (0/26 in 2 overs): Had a tough start, conceding 26 runs in his two powerplay overs without taking a wicket.
- Arshad Khan (0/25 in 2 overs): Went wicketless and was on the expensive side.
- Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (0/35 in 1.3 overs): Had a very expensive outing, conceding 35 runs in his short spell.
Impact Player: Prasidh Krishna was the impact player for GT and made a significant contribution with two wickets.
Player Analysis: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – 186/4 (19.3 overs)
LSG executed their chase brilliantly, with key contributions from their top and middle order.
Key Batsmen:
- Aiden Markram (58 off 31 balls): Opening the innings in the absence of Mitchell Marsh, Markram played a scintillating knock, setting the tone for the chase with 9 fours and 1 six. He was named the Player of the Match.
- Rishabh Pant (c) (21 off 18 balls): Promoted to open the innings, Pant provided a steady start but couldn’t convert it into a big score. He hit 2 fours.
- Nicholas Pooran (61 off 34 balls): Continuing his excellent form, Pooran played a blistering innings in the middle overs, smashing 3 fours and 6 sixes, taking the game away from GT. He also became the Orange Cap holder after this match.
- David Miller (7 off 11 balls): Couldn’t replicate his usual big-hitting prowess and was dismissed at a crucial juncture.
- Ayush Badoni (28 off 20 balls):* Played a composed innings under pressure, finishing the game in style with a four and a six in the final over.
- Abdul Samad (2 off 3 balls):* Remained unbeaten at the end.
Key Bowlers:
- Ravi Bishnoi (2/36 in 4 overs): Was instrumental in pulling back GT in the middle overs, picking up the wickets of both set openers, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, in quick succession.
- Shardul Thakur (2/34 in 4 overs): Had a good outing, picking up two wickets in the death overs, including Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford.
- Avesh Khan (1/26 in 4 overs): Provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Shubman Gill and bowled with good pace.
- Digvesh Singh Rathi (1/30 in 4 overs): Picked up the important wicket of Jos Buttler and bowled with decent control.
- Akash Deep (0/22 in 2 overs): Bowled economically in his two-over spell.
Impact Player: Ayush Badoni was the impact player for LSG and played a vital role in finishing the chase.
Match Summary
Gujarat Titans, after winning the toss and electing to bat, posted a total of 180/6, riding on half-centuries from their openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. However, they lost their way in the middle and death overs, failing to capitalize on the strong start.
In reply, Lucknow Super Giants started aggressively with Aiden Markram and Rishabh Pant. After Pant’s dismissal, Markram and Nicholas Pooran forged a crucial partnership, with both scoring half-centuries. Despite a late wobble with the wicket of Miller, Ayush Badoni held his nerve to guide LSG to victory in the final over.
Key Talking Points
- Aiden Markram’s Match-Winning Innings: His aggressive start set the platform for LSG’s chase and earned him the Player of the Match award.
- Nicholas Pooran’s Consistent Form: He continued his explosive hitting, making another crucial half-century and taking the Orange Cap.
- LSG’s Spinners Pulling Things Back: Ravi Bishnoi’s two wickets in a single over shifted the momentum in LSG’s favor.
- GT’s Middle-Order Struggle: After a 120-run opening stand, GT could only manage 60 runs in the last 7.5 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process.
- Rishabh Pant Opening: LSG’s tactical move to promote their captain to open didn’t yield a big score but provided a decent start.
- Ayush Badoni’s Calm Finish: His composed innings under pressure ensured LSG crossed the finish line.
This was a well-fought contest where LSG’s strong batting performance, particularly from Markram and Pooran, overshadowed GT’s strong opening stand. LSG’s bowlers also deserve credit for their efforts in restricting GT in the latter half of their innings.