Rishabh Pant and Tim David (ANI Photos) Sunday’s high-octane double-header in the Indian Premier League produced contrasting but equally engaging contests as Lucknow Super Giants edged out Sunrisers Hyderabad in a last-gasp thriller, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a batting masterclass to see off Chennai Super Kings.
Shami, LSG’s nervous chase by pants script
In Hyderabad, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant starred in Lucknow Super Giants’ thrilling five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.Shami’s sensational opening spell (2-9) cracked the top order and reduced SRH to 26/4 in the powerplay. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a duck and Travis Head for seven consecutive deliveries, setting the tone early.Despite the collapse, SRH battled through a brilliant 116-run stand between Heinrich Klaasen (62) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (56) to take the total to 156/9. However, once the duo departed, the innings lost steam and Prince Yadav and Avesh Khan provided vital support to Shami.LSG’s chase started briskly but faltered in the middle overs. Aiden Markram contributed 45 but quick wickets, including the run-out of Nicholas Pooran, left the game hanging in the balance.Needing nine off the final over, Pant held his nerve, hitting three boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat to seal victory with one ball to spare, finishing unbeaten on 68 to guide LSG to their first win of the season.
Tim David’s six-run carnage powers RCB
At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Tim David launched a breathtaking attack as he smashed eight sixes in an unbeaten 25-ball 70 to power Royal Challengers Bengaluru to an impressive 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings.After being put in to bat, RCB amassed a daunting 250/3 – their highest total of the season – with key contributions from Virat Kohli (28), Phil Salt (46), Devdutt Padikkal (50) and skipper Rajat Patidar (48 not out).David’s late onslaught, including a brutal 30 runs in the 19th over against Jamie Overton, helped RCB plunder 97 runs in the last five overs.In response, Chennai Super Kings faltered early and lost skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad cheaply. While Sarfaraz Khan (50), Prashant Veer (43) and Overton (37) put up resistance, the target proved too steep as they were bowled out for 207 in 19.4 overs.RCB bowlers, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s three wickets, sealed a comprehensive victory that keeps them at the top of the table with two wins from two matches.After two action-packed two-match weekends, the tournament switches gears on Monday in a single match where Kolkata Knight Riders host Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens to avoid a third straight defeat.
