Mar 27, 2025

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Match 7 report - IPL 2025

Pooran & Thakur Power LSG to Dominant Win Over SRH!

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a huge statement in Match 7 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, crushing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 5 wickets with an impressive 23 balls still to play! The action unfolded at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

After restricting SRH to a decent 190/9, thanks mainly to a brilliant four-wicket haul from Shardul Thakur, LSG made the chase look easy. Fueled by an incredible attack from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, they reached the target in just 16.1 overs. Shardul Thakur was rightly named Player of the Match for his game-changing bowling.

Quick Scorecard

Feature	Detail
Teams	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants
SRH Score	190/9 (20 overs)
LSG Score	193/5 (16.1 overs)
Result	Lucknow Super Giants won by 5 wickets
Player of the Match	Shardul Thakur (LSG) - 4/34

The Toss: LSG Opt to Chase

LSG captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and, showing great confidence in his batsmen (and perhaps expecting some dew later), decided to bowl first. This was a bold move, especially since SRH had scored a massive 286 in their previous game at the same ground!

LSG planned to use their bowlers, with Shardul Thakur leading the charge, to keep SRH’s explosive batting line-up in check, and then chase it down with their own powerful hitters. SRH, known for their “all-out attack” style, were expected to go big again.

Impact Player Strategy: LSG nominated Mitchell Marsh (who later starred with the bat), while SRH nominated leg-spinner Adam Zampa. Rishabh Pant later said they wanted to give SRH “a full Hyderabad treatment at their own home,” suggesting the chase was a deliberate plan to counter SRH’s aggressive home style.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings: Cameos, But No Big Knocks (190/9)

SRH started aggressively but were quickly pegged back by Shardul Thakur. In his second over (the third of the innings), Thakur struck twice:

He had Abhishek Sharma (6 off 6) caught at long-on.
Next ball, Ishan Kishan was out for a golden duck (0 runs), caught behind. SRH were suddenly 15/2.

Travis Head (47 off 28 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) fought back hard, hitting Avesh Khan for 18 runs in one over. He had some luck, being dropped twice by Nicholas Pooran and Ravi Bishnoi. His aggressive knock ended when Prince Yadav bowled him.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (32 off 28) tried to steady things. Heinrich Klaasen (26 off 17) looked dangerous but was run out in a bizarre way – a straight drive from Reddy hit bowler Prince Yadav’s hands and deflected onto the stumps, catching Klaasen short. This was a big wicket, as Klaasen is a great finisher.

Later in the innings:

Aniket Verma smashed a quickfire 36 off just 13 balls (5 sixes!).
Captain Pat Cummins also hit a rapid 18 off only 4 balls (3 sixes!).

Despite these bursts, LSG’s bowlers, led by Thakur’s four wickets (4/34) and an economical spell from Prince Yadav (1/29), kept taking wickets. They bowled particularly well at the end, with the last two overs only going for 10 runs for SRH.

SRH’s innings was full of quick, aggressive scores, but no one played a long, defining innings. Pat Cummins later said, “You always need one person to bat throughout the innings.” SRH finished on 190, which felt a bit short of what they could have scored. Shardul Thakur’s early wickets and his good bowling at the death were crucial for LSG.

SRH Key Batting Performances & LSG Key Bowling Figures:

SRH Batters	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	LSG Bowlers	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Econ
Travis Head	47	28	5	3	167.86	Shardul Thakur	4	34	4	8.50
Aniket Verma	36	13	0	5	276.92	Prince Yadav	4	29	1	7.25
Nitish Kumar Reddy	32	28	2	0	114.29	Ravi Bishnoi	4	42	1	10.50
Pat Cummins	18	4	0	3	450.00	Avesh Khan	4	45	1	11.25

Lucknow Super Giants’ Chase: Pure Power-Hitting! (193/5 in 16.1 overs)

LSG’s chase for 191 had a small early hiccup when Aiden Markram (1) was dismissed by Mohammad Shami. But this brought Nicholas Pooran to the crease, and the game changed dramatically!

Promoted up the order, Pooran unleashed an absolute storm of boundaries. He was especially harsh on Simarjeet Singh and part-timer Abhishek Sharma, racing to the fastest fifty of IPL 2025 in just 18 balls! His amazing innings of 70 came off only 26 deliveries (6 fours, 6 sixes), leaving SRH’s bowlers stunned.

Mitchell Marsh, playing as LSG’s Impact Player, supported Pooran brilliantly and then took over the attacking role. He scored his second fifty in a row, a quick 52 off 31 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes). The Pooran-Marsh duo put on a match-winning 116-run partnership for the second wicket in an incredible 43 balls! This brutal assault effectively won the game for LSG. By the end of the powerplay, LSG had raced to 77/1, their second-highest powerplay score in IPL history.

SRH captain Pat Cummins tried to pull things back, dismissing both Pooran (LBW) and Marsh (caught at long-on), finishing with good figures of 2/29. Adam Zampa (SRH’s Impact Player) and Harshal Patel also picked up wickets.

Even though LSG lost a couple more wickets (Ayush Badoni and captain Rishabh Pant), the required run rate was never a problem due to the explosive start. Abdul Samad, playing against his old team, made sure there were no late scares, scoring an unbeaten 22 off just 8 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes). He and David Miller (13 off 7 balls)* calmly took LSG to a comfortable victory with 23 balls left. Miller hit the winning boundary.

The decision to send Pooran at number three was a masterstroke. Rishabh Pant explained, “You’ve got to give someone the charge when he is batting well… we just want to give him the freedom.” Pooran’s immediate attack gave SRH no time to settle. Except for Pat Cummins, most of SRH’s bowlers struggled to contain Pooran and Marsh.

LSG Key Batting Performances & SRH Key Bowling Figures:

LSG Batters	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	SRH Bowlers	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Econ
Nicholas Pooran	70	26	6	6	269.23	Pat Cummins	3	29	2	9.67
Mitchell Marsh	52	31	7	2	167.74	Mohammad Shami	3	37	1	12.33
Abdul Samad	22*	8	2	2	275.00	Adam Zampa	4	46	1	11.50
David Miller	13*	7	2	0	185.71	Harshal Patel	2	28	1	14.00

Decisive Moments of the Match

Shardul Thakur’s Early Double Strike: Dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan (for a golden duck) in SRH’s third over set SRH back immediately.
Nicholas Pooran’s 18-Ball Fifty: His incredibly fast fifty and the overall assault during his partnership with Mitchell Marsh took the game away from SRH very quickly.
Heinrich Klaasen’s Bizarre Run-Out: SRH were 110/3 when Klaasen was unluckily run out. This stalled their momentum when they needed to accelerate.
SRH’s Lack of Big Partnerships: After Travis Head’s dismissal, SRH couldn’t build a single large partnership, unlike LSG’s massive Pooran-Marsh stand.

Player of the Match: Shardul Thakur (4/34)

Shardul Thakur’s bowling was key to LSG’s win. His 4 wickets for 34 runs came at crucial times.

He got both SRH openers out cheaply in the powerplay.
He bowled well at the death, also reaching 100 IPL wickets. Thakur mentioned he focuses on taking early wickets and adapts his bowling, even using full tosses sometimes to avoid giving batsmen width. His 11 dot balls also helped build pressure. It’s worth noting he was reportedly unsold at the auction initially and joined LSG as a replacement, showing his resilience.

Tactical Insights

LSG’s Aggressive Chase: Promoting Nicholas Pooran to No. 3 and letting him and Mitchell Marsh attack from the start was a brilliant tactical move.
SRH’s Aggression Needs Finesse: While SRH’s aggressive batting is powerful, they missed out on a bigger score because many batsmen got starts but didn’t convert them.
LSG’s Versatile Bowling: Prince Yadav’s pace (1/29) and Shardul Thakur’s variations showed LSG have a multi-skilled bowling attack.
Impact Players:
- LSG: Mitchell Marsh (for Digvesh Singh Rathi) scored a crucial fifty – highly successful.
- SRH: Adam Zampa (for Travis Head) got a wicket but was expensive (1/46). Shardul Thakur commented that the Impact Player rule, often allowing longer batting line-ups, makes it tough for bowlers, especially on good pitches. This match, with nearly 400 runs scored quickly, was a good example.

Captains’ Thoughts:

Rishabh Pant (LSG Captain): Expressed “big relief.” Praised his bowlers, especially Shardul Thakur and Prince Yadav. Justified Pooran’s promotion, saying in-form players need freedom. Mentioned MS Dhoni’s advice to “focus on controllables.”
Pat Cummins (SRH Captain): Admitted SRH’s 190/9 was “a little short” of their 200+ target on a good batting wicket. Said LSG “batted very well.” Pointed out SRH missed “that one player batting through the innings” but stood by their aggressive style.

Final Words: LSG Soar, SRH Need to Rethink

This match clearly showed LSG’s strength, especially their powerful batting and aggressive intent. For SRH, it’s a sign that while their aggressive style is exciting, they need better situational awareness and for key batsmen to play longer innings.

LSG’s clinical chase, led by Pooran and Marsh, and set up by Thakur’s excellent bowling, sends a strong message to other IPL teams. They’ve shown how to dismantle a high-powered opponent. SRH, on the other hand, will need to make sure their firepower consistently leads to winning scores.