In a thrilling encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured a significant victory against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 match on Friday. LSG posted a formidable total of 203/8 and then restricted MI to 191/5, clinching the game by 12 runs.
Post-match, the atmosphere was jovial as LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen in high spirits, engaging in friendly banter with LSG captain Rishabh Pant, seamer Shardul Thakur, and MI’s Rohit Sharma. A heartwarming video captured Goenka patting Pant on the shoulder, sharing laughs and light-hearted moments with the players.
In another clip shared by the team, Rohit Sharma, despite being sidelined due to a knee injury sustained during training, humorously urged Goenka not to worry, citing the presence of ‘Lord’ Shardul Thakur in their ranks. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya confirmed Sharma’s absence at the toss, attributing it to the injury.
The win propelled LSG to the sixth position on the IPL 2025 points table, marking their second victory in four matches. Conversely, Mumbai Indians slipped to seventh place after their third loss in four games.
Despite the victory, concerns linger over LSG captain Rishabh Pant’s batting form. Pant, who joined LSG for a record-breaking IPL fee of Rs 27 crore in the mega auction, has only managed to score 19 runs across four matches, with his highest score of 15 coming against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Pant was brought in to bolster the team’s performance following a lackluster previous season.
The team seemed content with the pitch conditions at Ekana Cricket Stadium, despite earlier reservations expressed by team mentor Zaheer Khan about its suitability for their playing style. Reflecting on the pitch, Pant commented, ‘One thing is sure is that the wicket is playing really well, and we need to figure out what’s working for us and what is not. Before we wanted a different kind of wicket, but whatever was offered to us we will take it and play.’
Looking ahead, Lucknow Super Giants are set to face the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, April 8, in what promises to be another exciting clash in the IPL 2025 season.