IPL – LSG implode after rocket-fuelled start to finish on 210 against DC

Lucknow Super Giants 209 for 8 (Pooran 75, Marsh 72) vs Delhi Capitals

Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh – 147 off 66 balls

The rest of Lucknow Super Giants – 55 off 55 balls

It was an innings of two halves in Delhi Capitals’ opening game against LSG in Visakhapatnam. When Marsh and Pooran were going the way they were, LSG looked set for more than 250. Then came an implosion and LSG found themselves well short.

That’s saying something because, despite the late quick wickets, LSG finished on 209 for 8. Yet, DC will feel relatively happy going into the break.

Marsh, who is playing IPL 2025 as a batter, piled on the runs in the powerplay – 43 off just 19 balls, the most he has ever scored in the phase in the IPL. His countryman, Mitchell Starc, was at the receiving end.

Starc started with four dot balls and a single to Aiden Markram in the first over. Then he bowled a length ball on leg stump, and Marsh walloped him over deep square leg for a huge six first ball. Starc’s next over was when Marsh took full toll. The first ball was tonked for a six over long-off by Markram. Then Marsh went 4, 6, 4 against Starc, an over which went for 21.

Vipraj Nigam, on IPL debut, was pulled for four by Marsh, but he soon had his revenge as he sent back Markram for 15. That brought Marsh and Pooran together and they pummelled the DC bowlers. Pooran was dropped on 17 by Sameer Rizvi, and once he got that reprieve, there was no stopping him. He carted three sixes in a Nigam over and then hammered four back-to-back sixes and a four off Stubbs, an over which went for 28. Marsh brought up his fifty off 21 balls, Pooran took 24 and the duo added 87 off 42 balls.

Marsh fell for 72 off 36 balls, while Pooran was cleaned up for 75 off 30 by a swinging Starc fall. But the wickets brought DC back into play. Rishabh Pant fell for a six-ball duck on LSG debut, while none of the other LSG batters did much.

The last seven overs cost DC only 49 runs with LSG losing six wickets, and that included two David Miller sixes off the final two balls.

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