Mohsin Khan is out. Mayank Yadav and Akash Deep are unavailable for now. Avesh Khan has just returned from injury. Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) fast-bowling attack in IPL 2025 looked fragile until Shardul Thakur and Prince Yadav stepped up against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday. SRH, known for their power-packed batting since last season, struggled this time.
“Can LSG stop Travishek?” Yes, they did. Thakur’s short ball dismissed Abhishek Sharma, thanks to clever planning. Prince Yadav took care of Travis Head by pitching it up and knocking out off and middle stumps. Thakur also struck early by removing Ishan Kishan, SRH’s centurion from their high-scoring clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Cheteshwar Pujara, on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, praised Thakur’s ability to mix up yorkers and short balls effectively. “With the new ball, he’s shaping it into left-handers and keeping the batters guessing. Abhishek was late on his shot because of this uncertainty,” Pujara explained.
Nick Knight highlighted Thakur’s “bowling craft,” saying, “If Abhishek had expected that short ball, it was going out of the park. But since he wasn’t sure whether it would be full or short, he mistimed it and got caught.”
By the eighth over, SRH were 76 for 3, with Head, Abhishek, and Kishan back in the pavilion. Prince Yadav, playing his debut season, showed remarkable control, occasionally clocking 140kph. Pujara praised his clarity and courage. “He had a clear plan to mix yorkers with slower bouncers. That confidence helped him execute perfectly.”
SRH, who were expected to score close to 300, managed only 190 for 9. LSG, after a poor opening game, secured their first win with two unlikely bowling heroes leading the way.
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