IPL 2025: Markram, Pooran's stunning knocks help LSG seal victory by six wickets over GT

LSG’s Aiden Markram (left) and Nicholas Pooran during their 58-run stand against GT in Lucknow on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

Nicholas Pooran again showed why he is considered one of the most devastating batsmen in T20 cricket. At the Ekana Stadium on Saturday evening, he tore apart the famed Gujarat Titans bowling attack to help hosts Lucknow Super Giants register a six-wicket win in a pulsating finish.

Mainly dealing in sixes, the West Indian southpaw played an innings to remember as he notched up another half-century to make a seemingly challenging 181-run target look easy till he was at the crease. By the time Pooran departed after collecting 61 off just 34 balls with as many as seven sixes and just one four, the victory was well in sight. But the following batters made heavy weather of it and just about romped home with three balls to spare.

With this innings, Pooran snatched back the Orange cap from GT's Sai Sudharsan, who had taken over as top run-getter with his well-compiled 56 at the halfway stage of the match.

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GT collapse after solid start

Sudharsan and Shubman Gill had given GT a rollicking start of 120 in 12 overs after being asked to bat first. At that time, it looked like the table leaders would cross the 200-mark. But immediately after the strategic timeout following the 12th over, GT lost Gill off first ball, followed by Sudharsan and Washington Sundar. Things went downhill thereafter as in the last eight overs, GT could add only 60 runs. It was mainly due to some fine bowling by Shardul Thakur (2-34) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-36) that LSG pulled things back.

Opening role for Pant

In the absence of Mitch Marsh, who is tending to his sick daughter here, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant got the chance to open the innings and finally managed to get some sort of form back by playing a few streaky strokes in his 18-ball 21.

Man of the match Aiden Markram too played his first substantial innings, getting 58 off 31 balls to lay the foundation. But it was Pooran's superlative knock that took the stuffing out of the GT bowling as Mohammed Siraj went for 50 runs in his four overs, while left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, the supposed trump card on a sluggish pitch, was taken for 35 runs in only nine balls he delivered during the match. It was Ayush Badoni who finished off things in style with a four and a six off hapless Kishore. With this defeat, GT slipped to the second spot with eight points, while LSG jumped to the third position, registering their fourth win in six games.

Brief scores
GT 180-6 in 20 overs (S Gill 60, S Sudharsan 56; S Thakur 2-34, R Bishnoi 2-36) lost to LSG 186-4 in 19.3 overs (N Pooran 61, A Markram 58; P Krishna 2-26) by six wickets