In a thrilling weekend match, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise maintained their winning streak. In Match 26 of the current IPL season (2025), the Rishabh Pant-led team faced the Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday, April 12.
Notably, Pant invited Gujarat to bat first after winning the toss. Intriguingly, the final match played at the location ended up being a high-scoring contest in which the home team batted first. However, they would rather go for a run chase this time. The hosts’ choice appeared to backfire, as Titans got off to a great start with their openers. Nevertheless, Lucknow managed to win the game and keep GT below 200 runs in the closing moments.
Talking Points
The batting show between Gill and Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill got the team off to a great start by batting first. In just 12.1 overs, the two amassed 120 runs for the first wicket. Consequently, GT appeared poised to score a significant goal from that point on. His skipper hit a quick 60 runs off 38 deliveries, while Sudharsan scored 56 runs off 37 balls. However, pacer Avesh Khan gave Lucknow a much-needed breakthrough in the 13th over when Aiden Markram made a spectacular catch on the boundary to dismiss Gill. Sudharsan returned to the pavilion shortly after, leaving GT with fresh batters.
Gujarat lost their scoring momentum when they left, though, as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Ravi Bishnoi and Shardul Thakur each took two wickets. As a result, the team was unable to surpass the anticipated total of more over 200 since the middle order was unable to get going. The Gujarat Titans ultimately finished with 180/6.
2. Pant appears with Markram as the opener.
Captain Rishabh Pant took over the role of opener and came out to bat alongside Aiden Markram in response to the run chase as Mitchell Marsh was absent for family reasons. Pant, who is renowned for his exciting batting style and anticipated pyrotechnics up front, attempted to play with vigilance in an attempt to score a lot of runs at the top of the order.
He was eventually removed for 21 runs off 18 balls, though, since he was unable to play freely. Markram, meanwhile, struck a crucial half-century (58 runs off 31 balls) while maintaining his strong batting rhythm from the previous game. By the time Markram was removed, Lucknow was in a commanding position at 123/2 in the 12th over after the two had combined 65 runs for the first wicket.
3. The song “Firey Knock” by Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran, the standout batsman for the West Indies, came to the crease after losing both openers. After facing a few balls, he went all guns blazing in the IPL 2025, continuing his incredible run. The Gujarat Titans’ bowlers were shaken by his immaculate sixes hitting. Consequently, when the umpire indicated for a strategic time-out after 13 overs, LSG was 140/2.
4. The incredible bowling of Rashid-Washington in the final overs
But there was a twist in the story when Rashid Khan removed Pooran (61 runs off 34 balls) in the 16th over. When Gill was observed discussing the decision with the umpire after David Miller was declared not out for a potential run-out opportunity, the game took an intriguing turn. However, this did not cost GT any more because Washington Sundar bowled Miller.
5. Sai Kishore bowls the final over, and Badoni ends spectacularly.
An intriguing choice was made by captain Shubman Gill to have Ravindra Sai Kishore, a left-arm spinner, bowl the final over of the game. After Miller left, it was up to Ayush Badoni to stay till the very finish. He swept the second ball of the over for a boundary. The Lucknow Super Giants ended the game in spectacular fashion with a six when Badoni smoked Kishore over mid-wicket on the third ball.
Here are the comments made by the captains and POTM (Player of the Match) about how Saturday’s game went:
Who Said What?
Rishabh Pant, LSG (Winning captain) said,
Definitely feeling happy. Like we said before, just following the same process and believing in our ability and taking it one game at a time. [On the bowling comeback] I think the idea was mostly to bowl yorkers and slower ones into the wicket. And the way the bowlers executed at that point of time was amazing. [On GT’s total] Definitely the way it went in the starting, we weren’t happy, but the way we pulled it back was amazing to see. [On his batting] I think every match I am feeling much better.
Today Marsh not being there gave me an opportunity and I thought the more time I spend at the wicket it’ll help me going forward in the tournament. It’s a team game eventually. You’re going to keep winning the matches and put your best foot forward. [On Pooran] I think one thing is for sure is that we are happy to have Nicholas Pooran in our team. You want someone like him on your side and not batting against you. The way he is reading the game right now, the way he is batting is phenomenal.
Shubman Gill, GT (Losing captain) said,
Wicket wasn’t easy to hit from the get go and this was the conversation that if there’s one batsman set we have to play 17-18 overs so we can get to 200-210 but losing back-to-back wickets didn’t help our cause. When we were batting the ball was stopping, it wasn’t an easy wicket from the first ball. Our strike rotation wasn’t as good as expected and that’s something we have to work on.
Always looking to take wickets, that was the conversation. We were behind the game but if we got a few quick wickets, we could take the match deep. We got a few wickets after the 10th over but the ball didn’t stop as much as we thought it would. Fighting till the end was a good sign for us. That was the conversation in the second timeout, that we’ll take it as deep as possible.
Aiden Markram, Player of the Match said,
[On gathering form] You want to start the competition ahead of the game but I fell slightly behind. A change in role so was adjusting to that. Couldn’t come off in the first few but grateful for the last couple of knocks. Schedules are packed so you’re just hopping around playing lots of cricket. Lots to take in but ultimately you stick to your game. Some guys hit sixes for fun, but that’s not my game. [On batting with Marsh and Pooran] You can easily [get sucked into trying to hit sixes].
But you always end up going back to your game as a player and if that’s good enough for selection, and the team can benefit, that’s the most important. [Did the surface change?] Obviously it was slightly on the slower side under the hot sun. We were expecting a change after ten overs in our innings but with the lights on it got better. We have to keep it in mind that batting first, it can be tough in day games here.
India
