Rishabh Pant’s selfless call on Sunday paid rich dividends as Lucknow Super Giants opened their IPL 2026 account with a five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Pant gave up his opening slot and this move by LSG worked perfectly.
After scoring in single figures against Delhi Capitals, Pant returned against SRH with a much calmer and more composed approach. He wasn’t at his best but led the chase expertly and finished unbeaten on 68 off 50 balls as LSG chased down 157 with one ball to spare.
It was necessary to end the final with a nine, Pant held his nerve perfectly. He hit Jaydev Unadkat for back-to-back fours and never looked confused despite the two dot balls between them. Instead, he stayed relaxed and sealed the chase with a commanding run over halfway that almost brought him to tears.
Meanwhile, SRH came into the competition on the back of a great win over Kolkata Knight Riders but failed to make a happy homecoming in Hyderabad.
SHAMI TEARS VIA SRH
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings unfolded in three distinct phases. First came the disastrous start they would prefer to forget, with Mohammed Shami struggling through the top order. This was followed by a blistering counter-attack from Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy before Lucknow Super Giants regained control in the closing stages.
Asked to bat first, SRH were in big trouble at 35 for 4 at the halfway mark. Shami struck first by dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a duck, although much of the credit went to Manimaran Siddharth for a stunning diving catch at short third man.
Shami then removed Travis Head soon after while Prince Yadav trapped Ishan Kishan to leave SRH reeling. Liam Livingstone, playing his first IPL match of the season, also failed to make the cut as Digvesh Rathi played for him. Shami was so dominant that he completed his spell in the ninth over, returning sensational figures of 4-0-9-2.
KLAASEN, NITISH HELP SRH RECOVER
At 26 for 4 in 7.1 overs, it looked like SRH would not even reach 100. But Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen then made a remarkable recovery, starting cautiously before shifting from the 11th over. This proved crucial as they managed 16 runs off Prince Yadav, sparking a fighting strike that SRH desperately needed.
From there, Sunrisers launched a stunning attack and smashed 108 runs in just seven overs. Klaasen brought up his 50 off 33 balls while Reddy reached his half-century on 30 as LSG suddenly came under pressure. The pair added a magnificent 116-run stand, the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for SRH.
Dropped by Mukesh Choudhary for 19, Klaasen made LSG pay for 62 off 41 balls. However, once Manimaran Siddharth dismissed Reddy for a brilliant 56 off 33, SRH lost momentum again and slipped from a potential 190 to 156 for 9.
PANT’S SACRIFICE WILL PAY DIVIDENDS
Lucknow Super Giants started the chase with their regular opening pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. With Markram back at the top, Rishabh Pant dropped down the order instead of opening and the move worked well for LSG. Markram and Marsh laid a solid platform with a 37-run stand for the first wicket.
Although Marsh fell for 14, Markram went on to make 45 off 27 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. Pant was placed at No. 3 and proved to be the perfect choice in the chase. Once LSG scored 53 goals in the power play, they never looked back.
Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran fell cheaply but the required rate never climbed beyond LSG’s control. Pant led from the front as the Super Giants wrapped up the chase in the final over. He didn’t go hammer and tongs from the very beginning; instead, he played calculated shots and made sure he batted until the end.
Pant found solid support in Abdul Samad who made 16 off 12 and eased the pressure. SRH may have sensed an opening after Pooran’s dismissal, but Pant and Samad added 34 for the fifth wicket to steer LSG firmly on course.
After Samad left, Pant took up the task of finishing the job and showed that he can be poised and mature, not just a rascal who likes to take the aggressive route.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
05 Apr 2026 19:29 IST
