Hyderabad, New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson was gushing over the Lucknow Super Giants’ victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 Indian Premier League, pointing up that the team lead by Rishabh Pant did a fantastic job of keeping SRH to a low score.
LSG all-rounder Shardul Thakur chose to bowl first and helped SRH reach 190/9 in 20 overs with a four-wicket haul. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the visitors won by five wickets thanks to heroic fifties from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh.
“Going to Hyderabad and playing SRH is, in my opinion, one of the hardest tasks. LSG, however, was very well-prepared. They were brave enough to carry out their strategy right away. Targeting the yorker length, they bowled full and straight, or more accurately, fuller than full, sometimes missing on either side. However, by doing this, they restricted SRH’s scoring possibilities and stopped them from controlling the game or confusing the opponent with their lengths and lines.
“The leadership deserves praise for the preparation and consideration that went into it. Williamson said on JioHotstar, “The flawless execution helped limit SRH to what was possibly an under-par total.”
After replacing Mohsin Khan as a late addition to LSG, Thakur reached the 100-wicket mark in the IPL. To finish with numbers of 4-34, he took the significant wickets of Mohammed Shami (1), Abhinav Manohar (2), Ishan Kishan (0), and Abhishek Sharma (6). Because of his outstanding performance, he was also named Player of the Match.
“A fantastic last-minute addition for LSG, Shardul is an experienced international player, and opening the bowling against SRH in Hyderabad is no easy task,” Williamson said in his commentary on Thakur’s performance. However, he arrived with a well-thought-out plan that was in line with the team’s approach and was expertly carried out. They brought in every imaginable method of dismissal, bowled in a number of ways, and kept it really packed.
“He performed an excellent job, and it was a really successful strategy. For such a unique effort, he deservedly won Man of the Match.
