Openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan managed half-centuries during their 120-run opening stand but Lucknow Super Giants bowlers pulled things back in an unbelievable manner to restrict Gujarat Titans to 180/6 on Saturday.
Orange cap holder Sai Sudharsan (56 off 37) struck his fourth fifty of the season in the company of his captain Gill (60 off 38) but the home bowlers made a valiant comeback, picking up three quick wickets to put a brake on the high scoring rate.
The visitors could manage just 60 in the last eight overs after raising the best opening wicket partnership of the season. It was a game to forget for Sherfane Rutherford, who could only manage 22 off 19 balls. The left-hander couldn't find his natural explosive gear and failed to boost the run rate after Jos Buttler (16 off 14) and Washington Sundar (2 off 3) fell without much resistance.
Making a flying start, Sudharsan opened the innings with a boundary, punching Shardul Thakur (2/34) short delivery to the backward point.
Both Sudharsan and Gill collected boundaries in almost every over, punishing the home bowlers.
Innings Break!
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2025
A brilliant comeback by the home side bowlers 👏
That leaves #LSG to get 1⃣8⃣1⃣ runs for the 𝗪 🎯
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/VILHBLEerV #TATAIPL | #LSGvGT pic.twitter.com/W9ArpvzBOe
GT brought up their fifty in the sixth over when Sudharsan whipped an Avesh Khan delivery on the pads over the backward square-leg fence as the visitors scored 64 in the powerplay.
But it was Sudharsan who played the second fiddle as his skipper Gill effortlessly found boundaries with his clean and simple batting.
Gill cut and pulled and also effortlessly went down the wicket to pick up his first six, straight over long-on off Aiden Markram.
The skipper brought up his half-century off just 31 balls with a single down the ground of Digvesh Rathi (1/30) in the ninth over.
GT raced to 103 for no loss at the half-way mark.
Sudharsan, however, got a reprieve when Abdul Samad dropped him off Digvesh in the 11th over. He soon completed his fifty with a sweep to the fine leg boundary.
It was raining boundaries from both the batters to all parts of the ground as LSG bowlers appeared clueless.
LSG finally had the first breakthrough in the first ball of the 13th over, when Gill was caught brilliantly just inches from the long-on boundary by Markram off Avesh (1/32).
LSG struck another blow just after the final strategic timeout in the form of Sudharsan. Just after the break, the left-hander went for a lofted over extra cover of Ravi Bishnoi (2/36) but failed to get past Nicholas Pooran, who took a fine catch.
Bishnoi struck again in the same over when Washington Sundar dragged one onto his stumps.
Jos Buttler failed to do much harm, falling to Rathi. Shardul was on a hat-trick in the final over but missed out on feat.
