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In Match 26 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) posted a competitive total of 180/6 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan gives Gujarat Titans a solid start
After being invited to bat first by LSG skipper Aiden Markram, Gujarat’s top-order duo of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan laid a solid foundation with commanding half-centuries, giving the Titans a strong platform.
Opening the innings, Gill and Sudharsan looked in sublime touch from the outset. Gill, the Titans’ captain, led by example with a fluent 60 off 38 balls, striking six fours and one maximum. He played the anchor’s role to perfection, rotating the strike while punishing anything loose. At the other end, Sudharsan was equally aggressive, compiling a classy 56 off 37 balls, which included seven fours and one six. The pair added 120 runs for the first wicket, putting the Lucknow bowlers under early pressure.
However, the momentum slightly dipped after the opening stand was broken. Avesh Khan provided the much-needed breakthrough for Lucknow, dismissing Gill with a full-length delivery ball. Ravi Bishnoi followed up with a crucial strike, removing the dangerous Sudharsan.
Washington Sundar couldn’t make much of an impact, scoring only 2 runs off 3 balls, before falling to Bishnoi. Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford then tried to inject some energy back into the innings with 16 off 14 and 22 off 19, respectively. Their efforts, however, were cut short by Digvesh Rathi and Shardul Thakur, who managed to keep the Titans in check with disciplined death-over bowling.
Shahrukh Khan chipped in with a handy 11 off 6 balls, including a six, but Rahul Tewatia was dismissed for a golden duck. Rashid Khan added a quick 4 off 2 in the final over to take the Titans to a respectable finish.
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Ravi Bishnoi and Shardul Thakur shine for Lucknow Super Giants
For the Super Giants, Ravi Bishnoi and Shardul Thakur were the pick of the bowlers, both finishing with two wickets each. Bishnoi’s leg-spin proved difficult to handle, especially in the middle overs, as he ended with 2 for 36 from his four overs. Thakur delivered key breakthroughs and kept things tight at the death, returning with 2 for 34. Digvesh also impressed with his control, conceding only 30 runs and picking up one wicket in his full quota.
Akash Deep and Aiden Markram were expensive, with the latter going for 15 in his only over. Despite some late-order resistance, Lucknow managed to pull things back after a flying start by Gujarat.
With a target of 181 runs, LSG will now rely on their power-packed top order, including Makram, skipper Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran, to chase down the total and seal a crucial win at home.
