Jaipur, April 19, 2025
In a nail-biting encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) clinched a dramatic 2-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 36th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. LSG posted 180/5, powered by half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni, before Avesh Khan’s exceptional death bowling restricted RR to 178/5, despite a valiant 74 from Yashasvi Jaiswal. This win marked LSG’s fifth victory in eight matches, strengthening their playoff push, while RR suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.
Match Summary
- Toss: LSG won the toss and elected to bat first, citing a dry pitch and minimal dew expectations.
- Lucknow Super Giants Innings: 180/5 in 20 overs
- Rajasthan Royals Innings: 178/5 in 20 overs
- Result: Lucknow Super Giants won by 2 runs
- Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
- Player of the Match: Avesh Khan (3/37 in 4 overs)
- Cricinfo’s MVP: Aiden Markram (94.5 points)
Lucknow Super Giants Innings: 180/5
LSG, opting to bat, faced early setbacks but recovered through a 76-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni. A late cameo from Abdul Samad propelled them to a competitive total.
- Key Performances:
- Aiden Markram: 66 off 45 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes), anchoring the innings with a steady half-century.
- Ayush Badoni: 50 off 34 balls (4 fours, 1 six), accelerating after a slow start.
- Abdul Samad: 30* off 10 balls (1 four, 4 sixes), smashing 24 runs in the final over.
- Nicholas Pooran: 11 off 8 balls, dismissed by Sandeep Sharma.
- Bowling for RR:
- Wanindu Hasaranga: 2/31 in 4 overs, dismissing Rishabh Pant and David Miller.
- Sandeep Sharma: 1/39 in 4 overs, removing Pooran but conceding 24 runs in the 20th over.
- Jofra Archer: 1/33 in 4 overs, dismissing Mitchell Marsh early.
- Tushar Deshpande: 1/26 in 4 overs, economical but wicketless until the middle overs.
- Key Moments:
- LSG lost Mitchell Marsh (4) in the third over, caught by Shimron Hetmyer off Archer, slumping to 16/1.
- Pooran’s dismissal by a slower ball from Sandeep Sharma left LSG at 46/2 by the powerplay’s end.
- Pant (3) fell to Hasaranga in the eighth over, mistiming a lofted shot to Dhruv Jurel, making it 54/3.
- Markram and Badoni’s 76-run stand stabilized the innings, with Markram reaching his fifty in 31 balls.
- Samad’s explosive 30* off 10 balls, including four sixes off Sandeep Sharma in the final over, boosted LSG to 180/5.
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Rajasthan Royals Innings: 178/5
Chasing 181, RR got off to a blazing start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but Avesh Khan’s heroics in the death overs turned the game in LSG’s favor.
- Key Performances:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 74 off 52 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes), leading the chase until dismissed in the 18th over.
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi: 34 off 20 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes), smashing a six off his first IPL ball.
- Riyan Parag: 39 off 26 balls (2 fours, 1 six), forming a 62-run stand with Jaiswal.
- Shubham Dubey: 3* off 3 balls, unable to finish the chase.
- Bowling for LSG:
- Avesh Khan: 3/37 in 4 overs, removing Jaiswal, Parag, and Hetmyer to defend 9 runs in the final over.
- Prince Yadav: 0/39 in 4 overs, bowling a crucial 19th over conceding 11 runs.
- Aiden Markram: 1/18 in 2 overs, dismissing Nitish Rana.
- Ravi Bishnoi: 0/28 in 4 overs, keeping pressure with tight lines.
- Key Moments:
- Suryavanshi, the youngest-ever IPL debutant at 14 years and 23 days, hit a six off Shardul Thakur’s first ball, setting the tone.
- Jaiswal and Suryavanshi’s 85-run opening stand in 8.4 overs put RR in control, reaching 50 in 4.3 overs.
- Markram dismissed Rana (12), and Suryavanshi fell to Shardul Thakur, leaving RR at 92/2 after 10 overs.
- Jaiswal and Parag’s 62-run partnership took RR to 156/2 after 17 overs, needing 25 off 18 balls.
- Avesh Khan’s 18th over was a game-changer, conceding 5 runs and dismissing Jaiswal (caught by Badoni) and Parag (caught by Pooran).
- Prince Yadav’s 19th over went for 11 runs, leaving RR needing 9 off the final over.
- Avesh, defending 9, dismissed Hetmyer (12, caught by Thakur) and restricted RR to 6 runs, with Dubey hitting the last ball back to Avesh, who held on despite injury.
Team Line-ups
- Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi. Impact Subs: Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal.
- Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande. Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kunal Singh Rathore, Rovman Powell.
Pitch and Conditions
The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, with an even grass cover and a dry surface, offered good pace and bounce, favoring pacers early on. The par score was estimated at 185, with boundaries at 67m and 63m (square) and 73m (straight). A strong breeze and high temperatures (around 35°C) prevailed, but dew was minimal, aiding the bowling side in the second innings. Historically, teams chasing have won 38 of 58 IPL matches at this venue, with an average first-innings score of 179 since IPL 2023.
Post-Match Analysis
- Lucknow Super Giants: LSG’s victory was a testament to their resilience and death-over execution. Markram and Badoni’s partnership provided a solid foundation, while Samad’s late blitz proved decisive. Avesh Khan’s composure under pressure, especially defending 9 runs in the final over, was the standout, earning him the Player of the Match award. Rishabh Pant’s decision to bat first, initially questioned, paid off, though his batting form remained a concern.
- Rajasthan Royals: RR’s fourth straight loss highlighted their struggles in closing games. Despite a strong start from Jaiswal and Suryavanshi, the middle order faltered under pressure. Riyan Parag, standing in as captain due to Sanju Samson’s side strain, expressed disappointment, noting the team gave away 20 extra runs and failed to finish the chase. Rahul Dravid emphasized the need for better death bowling and execution, as RR conceded 72 runs in the last five overs compared to an acceptable 57-60.
- Social Media Sentiment: Posts on X reflected the shock of RR’s collapse, with fans describing the loss as an “unbelievable choke” after being 156/2. Avesh Khan’s final-over heroics were widely praised, with some crediting Pant’s captaincy for the tactical shift. Others criticized RR’s inability to capitalize on a winnable position, calling it a “nonsense” performance.
Impact on IPL 2025 Standings
LSG’s win propelled them to 10 points from eight matches (five wins, three losses), placing them in the top four and bolstering their playoff chances. RR, with only two wins from eight games, remained in the bottom half of the points table, their playoff hopes fading with each defeat.
Key Statistics
- Head-to-Head: RR lead LSG 4-2 in six IPL meetings, but LSG have now won two of three matches at Jaipur.
- Venue Stats: The highest IPL score at Sawai Mansingh is 217/6 (SRH vs RR, 2023), and the lowest is 59 (RR vs RCB, 2023).
- Player Milestones:
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest IPL debutant at 14 years and 23 days, hitting a six off his first ball.
- Avesh Khan’s 3/37 was his best performance against RR, his former team.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 74 took his tally to 109 runs in three innings vs LSG (average 36.33, strike rate 143.42).
Conclusion
Lucknow Super Giants’ 2-run triumph over Rajasthan Royals was a showcase of high drama and clutch performances. Avesh Khan’s death-over brilliance, coupled with Markram and Badoni’s fifties and Samad’s cameo, outshone Jaiswal’s heroic effort and Suryavanshi’s dream debut. As LSG prepare to face Delhi Capitals on April 22, and RR gear up for Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 24, this match will be remembered as one of IPL 2025’s finest last-over thrillers.
