The SRH bowlers started wonderfully before losing their way as Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran combined to drive LSG to a challenging 165 for four on a slow pitch in an Indian Premier League match. Head (89 not out, 30b) and Abhishek (75 not out, 28b) pounded the LSG spinners for their opening wicket stand, and they smashed the target of 166 in just 9.4 overs. Earlier, LSG reached 165 for four on a slow field thanks to Ayush Badoni unbeaten fifty.
Badoni (55 not out) and Pooran (48 not out) both delivered important knocks for the Super Giants. Pooran and Badoni contributed 99 runs for SRH to secure an unbroken fifth wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most successful bowler for SRH, scoring 2/12. When LSG chose to bat, they were 66 for 4 in 11.2 overs until Badoni (55 not out off 30 balls) and Pooran (48 not out off 25 balls) stitched together a crucial 95-run stand off 55 balls for the undefeated fifth wicket.
The visitors lost. Quinton de Kock, who replaced an injured Mohsin Khan, was beautifully caught by Nitish Kumar Reddy at deep backward square-leg off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/12) in the third over. The pitch also did not aid LSG's case because the ball was slow and stopped, making it tough for their batters to find timing. While skipper KL Rahul (29) held one end up, Krunal Pandya (24) took it upon himself to raise the bar.
SRH were outstanding on the field, as Cummins' direct throw from midfield sent Krunal packing when the batter attempted a quick single. Badoni pressed the accelerator early, scoring three boundaries in left-arm pacer Natarajan's 14th over, which yielded 17 runs. The Lucknow side eventually got going when Pooran and Badoni hit a six and a four in the 15th over, bowled by leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.
