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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had a depleted fast-bowling attack going into their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener against Delhi Capitals (DC). As a last-minute change, LSG roped in experienced Shardul Thakur as replacement for an injured Mohsin Khan. Thakur repaid LSG's faith with the ball as he got a second chance after going unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. He got the prized wickets of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel in the first over.
However, in the slog overs when Ashutosh Sharma was firing on all cylinders, captain Rishabh Pant chose not to bring back Thakur and banked on rookie Prince Yadav and spinners as the ball was gripping. In the aftermath of their one-wicket defeat, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu feels that maybe Pant was trying to follow legendary MS Dhoni's template. Rayudu did not blame Pant and said that the spinners let him down as they could not execute the plans well.
"I think he was trying to maybe do what MS Dhoni used to do on wickets like that, especially bowling spinners in the end. And his spinners actually let him down. To be very honest, I don't think it's the captiancy. I think it's the bowling execution that has let him and LSG down," Rayudu told ESPNCricinfo in their post-match show.
After two wickets in the first over, Thakur conceded 13 runs in his second over. In the slog overs, he opted to go for spinners Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi and Shahbaz Ahmed. Only the penultimate over was bowled by Prince who was economical in his first two overs but leaked boundaries against Vipraj Nigam. 16 runs were scored off the penultimate over.
Hayden on Bishnoi's expensive over
From taking five wickets for 65 in the seventh over, LSG panicked and lost their campaign opener. Former CSK opener Matthew Hayden feels it is a bit harsh to say that LSG lost the plot but pointed out that their star leg-spinner Bishnoi was expensive despite the wicket of Mitchell Starc.
"I think that's pretty harsh. Considering how the front half of the second run chase went and then the back half. But there's element certainly that's an accurate assessment as well. Even thinking of the 18th over bowled by Bishnoi. He took the wicket of Starc but he went for 17 runs," Hayden said in the same discussion.
