IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians, Match 16
Match 16 of the ongoing IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) season witnessed the hosts Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) clashing with the visitors, Mumbai Indians. Notably, the match took place at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, on Friday, April 4.
Courtesy of the fifties from Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, LSG managed to post a competitive total of 203/8. While on the other side, MI captain Hardik Pandya starred with the ball by claiming a five-wicket haul. However, a late cameo from David Miller meant that Lucknow got past the 200-run mark.
Talking Points
1. Marsh and Markram led the charge
Australia’s big-hitting all rounder Mitchell Marsh played a dominating knock (60 runs off 31 balls) in the powerplay phase. Interestingly, he got a reprieve and made the most of it by scoring a vital half-century. During his thrilling knock, Marsh smashed two sixes and nine fours, respectively.
Apart from him, Aiden Markram played the anchor role with a commendable fifty (53 runs off 38 balls) before shifting his gear after captain Rishabh Pant got out cheaply. In the later stages, Ayush Badoni provided a late flourish with a 30-run cameo off 19 balls.
2. Hardik Pandya’s 5-wicket haul
Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya was the star of the day with the ball. He became the first captain to take a fifer. Batters like Nicholas Pooran and Markram were his key victims.
In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, the skipper led from the front and used subtle variations to bamboozle the batters. As a result, at one stage, Lucknow were looking set to score 225 and beyond but Pandya’s bowling restricted them from scoring those surplus runs.
3. Suryakumar Yadav’s fifty in landmark 100th match goes in vain
In reply to the run chase, MI had a terrible start as they lost both the openers in the form of Will Jacks and Ryan Rickleton in quick succession in the third over. However, youngster Naman Dhir, who missed out on a well-deserved fifty (46 runs off 24 balls) by a whisker, stitched a crucial 69-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav for the third wicket. Suryakumar too got going in his landmark 100th match for MI and paced his innings quite beautifully.
However, he failed to stay till the end and got dismissed by pacer Avesh Khan in the 17th over with MI still needing 52 runs to win. The equation got stiffer for Mumbai as they slowed down in the middle stages as Digvesh Rathi’s economical bowling helped Luckow take the game down to the wire.
4. Tilak gets retired hurt out, Hardik fails to finish for Mumbai
In the end, the pair of Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya (28* runs off 16 balls) tried to take the game deep. But suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, MI opted to get Varma “retired hurt” out and sent Mitchell Santner, as he was not able to play his natural aggressive game. LSG Captain Pant handed the last over to Avesh Khan with 22 runs needed to defend. Pandya who did smoke the first ball of the final over for a six, failed to hit cleanly in the rest of the over. As a result, the MI captain failed to take his side home as LSG sealed a dramatic first victory at home over the Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in the IPL 2025 nailbiter.
Meanwhile, here’s what the captains and POTM (Player of the Match) said regarding how the match turned out on the Wankhede IPL opener:
Who Said What?
Rishabh Pant, LSG (Winning captain) said,
Very satisfying. To win, especially at home and the way we did it as a group – everyone chipped in, cannot be happier. It is always a challenge of picking one guy here or there. Our team is sorted with the players we are backing and the players we have. We thought Ashwani can come in (on this pitch) and bowl the way he bowled. It is all scouts – they picked him. They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action and he was a leftie. We just backed him and the way he took that wicket of Russell was a very crucial wicket, and how he started with the catch of de Kock, it was terrific to see (a fast bowler jumping up to take it). When it goes my way, it looks good. But the kind of team we have, we have a lot of young and experienced players combined and I do not have to worry much. Early start, but a great sign for everyone to chip in and kick off the tournament for us.
Hardik Pandya, MI (Losing captain) said,
Collective batting failure. It was a good wicket bat on as I mentioned in the toss. 180-190 would have been good on this wicket. It has a very good bounce. Sometimes you have to use the pace and bounce. We got to learn really fast from this game. Couldn’t much with the ball. They tried their best. But not much runs on the board. We kept on losing wickets. Four wickets in the powerplay. It was difficult to consolidate and get that total on the board. You need that partnership going. You need one batsman to stay till the end.
Hardik Pandya/Suryakumar Yadav, Player of the Match said,
It is a big thing for me that I got this opportunity and that I am getting this award. Never thought about this, just did my process and happy (to get this award). I am from Jhanjheri in Mohali district – to come from there to here, that is the result of my hard work and by god’s grace I am here. I was confident, but I was a little nervous as well, thinking about what will happen. (On his message to his people back home) I want to make all of you feel proud in the upcoming games.
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