Lucknow Super Giants secured their first victory of IPL 2026 with a five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, built on a disciplined spell from Mohammed Shami and a composed unbeaten half-century from Rishabh Pant.
Chasing 157, LSG reached 160 for 5, with Pant anchoring the finish after SRH had earlier recovered from a top-order collapse through fifties from Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Early damage leaves SRH struggling
After being asked to bat, SRH were put under immediate pressure by Shami, who removed Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head inside his opening two overs. His spell in the powerplay set the tone, as he completed three overs early and finished his quota by the ninth over.
Further setbacks followed as Ishan Kishan and Liam Livingstone departed soon after, reducing SRH to 26 for 4 in the eighth over. Prince Yadav also made an impact, contributing to the early breakthroughs as LSG seized control.
Klaasen and Reddy rebuild innings
With the innings in trouble, Klaasen and Reddy once again stepped in to stabilise proceedings. The pair initially rebuilt cautiously, taking SRH to 35 for 4 at the halfway mark — one of the lowest 10-over totals in IPL history.
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They then shifted momentum decisively, adding 116 runs for the fifth wicket in just 63 balls, setting a new record for SRH for that position. Klaasen reached his half-century in 33 deliveries, while Reddy followed with a fifty off 30 balls.
At 123 for 4 after 16 overs, SRH appeared set for a significantly higher total.
Late fightback restricts SRH
LSG responded strongly in the death overs to pull things back. Reddy was dismissed in the 17th over, followed by Klaasen in the next, which halted SRH’s momentum.
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The lower order could not capitalise, as SRH managed only 33 runs in the final four overs while losing five wickets, finishing on 156 for 9.
Markram provides strong start in chase
In reply, Aiden Markram gave LSG early impetus with a fluent 45 off 27 balls. He struck boundaries regularly despite a surface that did not fully favour strokeplay, helping LSG stay ahead of the required rate.
Mitchell Marsh provided brief support before falling, but Markram continued to push the scoring before being dismissed while attempting to clear the boundary.
Middle-order wobble adds tension
Despite a solid start, LSG lost wickets at regular intervals during the middle phase. Ayush Badoni was stumped, while Nicholas Pooran was run out after a mix-up, adding pressure to the chase.
Pant, who had struggled to find rhythm initially, began to accelerate as the innings progressed.
Pant finishes the job
With 43 required from five overs, the contest remained evenly poised. Pant responded by finding timely boundaries, while Abdul Samad also contributed to reduce the equation.
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Heading into the final over, LSG needed nine runs. Pant struck two boundaries off the first two deliveries from Jaydev Unadkat to bring the scores level. After two dot balls, he sealed the win by lofting the ball over mid-off.
Pant’s unbeaten 68 ultimately guided LSG home, capping a performance that combined early bowling dominance with a composed chase.
