Pooran, Markram Help Lucknow Seal Impressive Win Over Gujarat

GT lost momentum after stand between Sudharsan and Gill, and LSG never let slip of the advantage

- Sharad Deep

Lucknow Super Giants stopped the winning run of table-toppers Gujarat Titans on Saturday, securing their second home win this season by six wickets before a huge crowd here. Titans openers Sai Sudharsan (56) and skipper Shubman Gill (60) raised a 120-run partnership, promising a huge total. But once LSG pacer Avesh Khan ended the stand by having Gill caught, the home team reined in the scoring to restrict Titans to 180/6.

Chasing 181 at a strike rate of 9.05, LSG batters never let the Titans bowlers dictate terms, winning with three balls to spare. Ayush Badoni, as Impact Player, sealed it with a four and six off Sai Kishore's successive deliveries, leaving the 45,000-odd fans celebrating.

With Mitch Marsh opting out due to personal reasons, skipper Rishabh Pant opened the innings with Aiden Markram. The two set the tone, stitching together 65 runs in 38 balls. Pant, who had struggled having scored just 19 runs in the previous five matches, showed a glimpse of his attacking prowess, hitting an 18-ball 21 with four fours.