Navi Mumbai: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) grabbed their second win on the trot defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by runs here Monday. After KL Rahul (68, 50b, 5×4, 1×6) and Deepak Hooda (51, 33b, 3×4, 3×6) held the innings together to help LSG put on a fighting 169 for seven wickets, their bowlers restricted SRH to 157 for nine wickets in their 20 overs.
Pacer Avesh Khan (4/24), all-rounder Jason Holder (3/34) and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya (2/27) were the pick of the LSG bowlers. Khan in particular troubled all the batters with his pace and sent back SRH skipper Kane Williamson (16) and Avishek Sharma (13) early on, blows from which SRH could not recover. Holder’s three overs came in the last over of the game as the batters tried to up the ante.
Except for Rahul Tripathi (44, 30b, 5×4, 1×6) and Nicholas Pooran (34, 24b, 3×4, 2×6), none of the SRH bowlers could get going. But then that was not enough.
Earlier Rahul and Hooda struck useful half centuries and lifted LSG to 169 for seven after a disastrous start. After LSG lost three wickets for just 27 runs in the power play, Rahul found an able ally in Hooda and added 87 runs for the fourth wicket to revive the innings.
Coming back from a long break after playing their opener last Tuesday, SRH made a dream start. They left the Super Giants in all sorts of trouble early on.
Making a strong comeback after the pounding in his team’s heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals, Washington Sundar (2/28) was handed the new ball and he delivered in his very first over, and SRH’s second, dismissing the dangerous Quinton de Kock. Backed to bowl in the power play, Washington got de Kock (1) to chip one to Williamson at cover. Few moments later, Washington had Evin Lewis (1) trapped in front of the wicket after the swashbuckling West Indian batter failed to execute his slog sweep.
Manish Pandey struck Romario Shepherd for a four and a six but then, going for one too many, ended up lobbing a catch to mid-on in the same over to leave LSG in a spot of bother.
The pacy Umran Malik consistently hit 145 kmps but also leaked plenty of runs, allowing Rahul and Hooda to settle down and revive LSG’s innings.
Having withstood the early reverses, the duo of Rahul and Hooda went about their task in a professional manner. They brought the 100 up of the innings in the 14th over with Malik going for 16 runs.
Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 169 for 7 (KL Rahul 68, Deepak Hooda 51, T Natarajan 2/26, Washington Sundar 2/28) beat SRH 157 for 9 (Rahul Tripathi 44, Avesh Khan 4/24, Jason Holder 3/34, Krunal Pandya 2/27) by 12 runs.
