In the 61st game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
SRH won the toss and decided to bowl first. The first ten overs proved difficult, with the bowlers giving away 108 runs. However, the tide swung shortly after as SRH responded with fast wickets, putting the home team under pressure. Eshan Malinga delivered a calm and successful spell, finishing his four overs with a remarkable economy rate of 7.
In the chase, Abhishek Sharma (59) set the tone early with a grilling innings that included six sixes and four fours at a startling strike rate of 295. The in-form southpaw resumed his hot streak from before the break, giving SRH a flying start. Ishan Kishan chipped in with a tidy 35, but Heinrich Klaasen (47) kicked into high gear to keep the momentum flowing. Kamindu Mendis (32), one of SRH’s star players this season, continued where Klaasen left off, leading the team home with ease. SRH chased down the goal in just 18.2 overs, eliminating LSG from playoff contention.
In a must-win game, openers Mitchell Marsh (65) and Aiden Markram (61) got their side off to a fast start, adding 69 runs on the powerplay and combining for a respectable 115 runs. However, momentum fell after the first wicket, and a flurry of dismissals ensued. Nicholas Pooran (45) was the only other major contributor, infusing momentum with a quickfire knock at a strike rate of 173.08, which included six boundaries and one six. Despite the good start, the innings concluded with 205/7 in 20 overs, which was likely 15-20 runs shy of a very competitive total.
For LSG with the ball, Digvesh Rathi managed to grab two wickets, while one wicket each was taken by William O’Rourke and Shardul Thakur.
With the ball in the first innings, Eshan Malinga scalped two wickets, while one wicket each was also taken by Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
With this win, SRH have bagged their fourth win of the season.
Scorecard:
Lucknow Super Giants: 205/7, Overs 20, Mitchell Marsh 65, Eshan Malinga 2/28
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 206/4, Overs 18.2, Abhishek Sharma 59, Digvesh Rathi 2/37
