IPL 2025: Shardul and Bishnoi's Bowling Heroics Halt GT After Gill and Sudharshan's Fifties
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Synopsis
In Match 26 of IPL 2025, Lucknow Super Giants excelled in bowling, restricting Gujarat Titans to 180/6 despite fifties from Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Shardul Thakur and Ravi Bishnoi were pivotal in LSG's bowling effort at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Key Takeaways
- Shardul Thakur and Ravi Bishnoi each took two wickets.
- Gujarat Titans set a target of 181 runs.
- Shubman Gill scored 60 runs.
- Sai Sudharsan contributed 53 runs.
- LSG's bowlers effectively restricted Gujarat's scoring.
Lucknow, April 12 (NationPress) The Lucknow Super Giants made a remarkable comeback with their outstanding bowling performance after fifties from openers Shubman Gill (60) and Sai Sudharsan (53), successfully limiting the Gujarat Titans to 180/6 in 20 overs during Match 26 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Spinner Ravi Bishnoi and pacer Shardul Thakur each took two wickets, while Avesh Khan and Digvesh Rathi accounted for one wicket apiece, helping LSG thwart the table-topping Gujarat Titans from achieving a high score.
When asked to bat first, Gujarat depended heavily on the solid technique displayed by their openers, Gill and Sudharsan, who constructed an impressive opening partnership of 120 runs to set the stage for a substantial total.
Sudharsan, the current holder of the Orange Cap, showed his aggressive intent from the outset, executing a late cut off Shardul Thakur to find the boundary. Together, they amassed six boundaries and one six during the Power-play, reaching 54/0 by the time the field restrictions were lifted.
Gill attacked Aiden Markram, capitalizing on his strong record against the South African all-rounder, hitting a four followed by a six straight down the ground. He completed his 22nd IPL fifty in just 31 deliveries.
The duo reached the 100-run mark in just 58 balls. Sudharsan was nearly denied his fifty when he was dropped on 46 by Abdul Samad and hit a boundary off the last ball of Digvesh Rathi's over to secure his fourth half-century of the tournament.
Just when it seemed like they were poised to accelerate, a fuller delivery from Avesh Khan led to Gill's dismissal. He attempted a fine shot on the first ball of the 13th over, but Markram took a brilliant catch, giving the home side the much-needed breakthrough.
Bishnoi then swung the momentum back towards his side by taking two wickets in the following over, dismissing both Sudharsan and Washington Sundar (2) to stifle the run rate.
Digvesh was again denied his first wicket when Rutherford (22) misplayed a pull shot, resulting in a simple catch that Rishabh Pant dropped despite having a good chance to claim it.
On the next delivery, Jos Buttler (16) made solid contact with a reverse sweep for a boundary but was dismissed on the following ball. After having two wickets dropped, Shardul Thakur finally provided relief for Digvesh by executing a remarkable diving catch.
What initially appeared to be a guaranteed 200+ score for Gujarat was significantly curtailed as the LSG bowlers effectively restricted the new batsmen. Rutherford greeted Avesh with consecutive boundaries off the opening two deliveries of the penultimate over.
Due to a slow over rate, Shardul bowled the final over with four fielders outside the circle. Shahrukh Khan (11*) hit a six off the first ball before changing the strike. In a failed slog attempt, Rutherford was caught plumb out, ending his innings.
Rahul Tewatia (0) tried to execute a pull shot on his first ball but was easily caught by Markram. Rashid Khan (4*) came to bat on the hat-trick ball but failed to connect well, leaving Shardul without a hat-trick. Ultimately, Gujarat set a target of 181 runs.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 180/6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 60, Sai Sudharsan 53, Sherfane Rutherford 22; Shardul Thakur 2-34, Ravi Bishnoi 2-36) vs Lucknow Super Giants
