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Lucknow Super Giants made an explosive start with the ball after opting to field first, as Shardul Thakur delivered a massive double blow in quick succession. In his very first over, the experienced pacer dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 6 off 6 balls. Thakur’s short-ball strategy paid off when Abhishek, looking to play an aggressive shot, mistimed his pull straight into the hands of Nicholas Pooran at deep square leg. Pooran judged it well and completed a comfortable catch, sending the Sunrisers opener back early.
Golden duck for Ishan Kishan as Thakur strikes again
With Abhishek Sharma gone, Sunrisers Hyderabad sent in Ishan Kishan, their centurion from the last match, hoping he could stabilize the innings. However, Thakur was on fire and made an immediate impact. On his very next delivery, he bowled a leg-side delivery that got a faint edge from Kishan’s bat, and Rishabh Pant, behind the stumps, made no mistake in grabbing the catch. Kishan departed for a golden duck, completing Thakur’s dream over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad stumble early at 27/2
Thakur’s double strike in the second over left Sunrisers Hyderabad reeling at 27/2 in three overs. With two key batters back in the pavilion, the responsibility fell on Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy to rebuild the innings. Meanwhile, Thakur, with figures of 2-18 in two overs, set the tone for Lucknow Super Giants, putting them in a strong position early in the match.
