IPL 2025: Markram, Badoni Fifties Power LSG to 180/5 Against RR

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) rode on stellar half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni to post a competitive total of 180 for 5 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2025 clash. The match, played in testing conditions, saw momentum shift back and forth, but disciplined knocks and a late flourish ensured LSG put up a defendable score on the board.

Markram Leads the Charge with Composed 66

Aiden Markram anchored the LSG innings with a brilliant 66 off 45 balls, showcasing both flair and composure. After a cautious start, Markram switched gears seamlessly, launching a pair of sixes off Wanindu Hasaranga and finding regular boundaries against Theekshana and Archer. He brought up his fifty in just 31 balls and kept the scoreboard ticking despite wickets tumbling around him. His crucial knock ended when he holed out to Riyan Parag at long-off in Hasaranga’s final over.

Badoni's Quickfire Fifty Gives Late Push

Young gun Ayush Badoni provided LSG the late thrust they needed. Coming in under pressure, Badoni paced his innings intelligently before launching into an attacking spree. He reached his half-century in just 33 balls, only to be dismissed on the very next delivery — a short ball from Tushar Deshpande that he cut straight to deep point. His 50, peppered with confident strokes, was instrumental in pushing LSG past the 175-run mark.

David Miller & Abdul Samad Finish with a Bang

The finishing touches came courtesy of Abdul Samad, who tore into Sandeep Sharma in the final over. After Miller took a single off the first ball, Samad clobbered four sixes in five deliveries to milk 27 runs off the over — the most expensive of the innings. This last-over blitz helped LSG leap from a middling total to a formidable one.

Bowling Highlights: RR Keep it Tight in Phases

Rajasthan Royals had their moments with the ball. Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 2 for 29 in his four overs and applying the brakes in the middle phase. Jofra Archer, despite leaking a few early boundaries, ended with respectable figures of 1 for 32. Tushar Deshpande chipped in with a tight spell, conceding just 6 and 5 runs in consecutive overs and removing Badoni at a crucial juncture.

Key Dismissals and Missed Opportunities

The Royals missed an early opportunity when Shubham Dubey dropped Nicholas Pooran at square leg. However, Sandeep Sharma later made amends, cleaning up Pooran with a toe-crushing yorker that was upheld on review. Jofra Archer sent Mitchell Marsh packing early, while Hasaranga’s double strike in the middle overs kept LSG from running away with the game.

Injury Woes for Royals: Sanju Samson Ruled Out

Rajasthan Royals were dealt a major blow even before the first ball was bowled — regular skipper Sanju Samson was ruled out of the game due to an injury sustained in the previous match. In his absence, Assam’s own Riyan Parag led the side, making his captaincy debut in front of a packed stadium.

“We’ve been doing small things right but haven’t been able to piece it together. Hopefully, tonight we can,” said Parag at the toss, where he opted to bowl first.

Captain’s Call: Pant Chooses to Bat

LSG captain Rishabh Pant, who returned to form in the previous game, won the toss and chose to bat on what he termed a “dry surface.” “There’s no dew expected, and we wanted to make the most of the batting conditions upfront,” Pant said.

Impact Players and Playing XIs

LSG Impact Subs: Ayush Badoni, Mayank Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh

RR Impact Subs: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore

LSG XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), David Miller, Abdul Samad, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan

RR XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Riyan Parag (c), Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande

With a strong total on the board, the onus is now on the LSG bowling unit to capitalize. But with a power-packed RR batting lineup, including the in-form Jaiswal and Hetmyer, an enthralling chase is on the cards.