Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) continued their winning streak after beating Gujarat Titans (GT) by a margin of six wickets at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The victory, with three balls to spare, brought GT’s four-match winning streak to an end. Nicholas Pooran (61 off 34 balls) and Aidan Markram (58 off 310 laid the platform for the chase of 181, which Ayush Badoni finished off with an unbeaten 20-ball 28.
The home fans finally got to witness a scene that they had wanted to for a long time, as skipper Rishabh Pant opened alongside Markram. While Markram got going, Pant failed to have any significant impact with the bat again, scoring 21 (18), his best performance of the season so far.
In walked fan-favourite Pooran, who tore apart the GT bowling lineup, hitting seven maximums and one four. Markram and Pooran stitched together an aggressive 58-run partnership from just 29 balls. GT found some respite when Markram got out to Prasidh Krishna, who ended the day with two wickets.
The in-form Mohammad Siraj was the most expensive bowler for the Titans, giving away 50 runs in his four wicket-less overs. After Pooran holed out off Rashid Khan, the chase rested in the hands of Badoni, who was calm and collected, and sealed it with a six.
Earlier in the day, GT’s openers had stitched together a 120-run partnership that made it seem like the visitors were in for a big total. Sai Sudarshan 56 (37) and Shubman Gill 60 (38) completely dominated the first half of the innings with their partnership. The turning point in the innings came when Avesh Khan struck and sent the GT skipper back, triggering a mini-collapse.
GT lost two quick wickets and Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar both failed to find momentum. Sherfane Rutherford 22 (19) hit three fours but could not take GT over the 200-run mark. The visitors finished with 180/6 in 20 overs. Among the LSG bowlers, Shardul Thakur (2/34) and Ravi Bishnoi (2/36) stood out with a couple of wickets each.
With this result, a third win on the bounce, LSG have transformed their campaign after a shaky start. They now sit third on the points table, behind the unbeaten Delhi Capitals and GT only on net run rate.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
