Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant delivered a statement knock as the side edged past Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, turning the result into a major confidence boost. Pant finished unbeaten on 68 from 50 balls as LSG chased down a 157-run target with six balls to spare, reaching the winning finish in 19.5 overs. The decisive moment came when Pant struck Jaydev Unadkat for a boundary to seal the chase.
At a glance
- LSG beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday after chasing 157 in 19.5 overs.
- Rishabh Pant made 68* off 50 balls and hit the winning run versus Jaydev Unadkat.
- Avesh Khan returned the ball into play after the shot, sparking debate online about possible penalty runs.
- Mohammed Shami took 2/9 in four overs, including 18 dot balls, and won Player of the Match.
- SRH posted 156/9, but were eventually outdone as LSG won by five wickets.
There was, however, a talking point around the final boundary sequence. As the ball was struck towards the boundary, LSG bowler Avesh Khan—caught up in the celebration—knocked the ball back into the field before it could reach the rope. No SRH fielder was in close proximity, and the incident did not appear to interfere with any player’s attempt to play the ball.
Even so, a section of social media questioned whether SRH should have been awarded five penalty runs for the aborted boundary. The criticism went further when it was noted that Avesh’s own teammate Arshin Kulkarni did not seem pleased with the act. Some fans cited Law 20.1 (dead ball) and Law 41 (unfair play), suggesting the situation could have warranted a ruling.
The argument did not hold up for others, pointing out that the unfair-play laws would not apply in a scenario where no SRH fielder was nearby and the ball would have cleared the boundary in the normal course of events. A report also noted that an umpire familiar with the case felt there was no basis to overturn the boundary decision in that instance.
Debate around Avesh Khan’s celebration
The controversy quickly spread across timelines, with multiple posts reacting to why no penalty was enforced. Fans highlighted that the winning shot was already in motion toward the boundary and that the ball was redirected only after Pant struck it. Several comments also suggested the incident should have led to a warning, fine, or at least a formal review of the act—while others argued that the required conditions for a penalty were not met.
In the middle of the online noise, the match itself moved into focus again—especially because LSG’s win had been built on more than just the final-ball drama. The chase was made possible after Shami’s spell swung momentum early and kept SRH’s batting group under relentless pressure.
Shami’s Player of the Match spell
Mohammed Shami, who was named Player of the Match, described his delight after the five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 game at Hyderabad. Shami finished with 2/9 in four overs and played a crucial role in triggering a collapse in SRH’s top order. SRH had reached 156/9, but the total looked vulnerable once LSG gained control of the innings.
One of the standout features of Shami’s performance was his ability to dry up scoring—he bowled 18 dot balls across his four-over quota. After the match, Shami explained that his approach this season has included more slower balls, saying the plan was shaped by what he observed from opponents.
Shami also referenced his own experience from last year, when slower balls had been used frequently at the venue. He said the delivery was already on his mind because he had seen opponents rely on it, and he decided to bring the tactic into his own bowling in the current campaign.
“Last year I was here, and a lot of slower balls were bowled. That was in my mind. The bowlers and the opponents bowled a lot of slower balls, so I thought, why not try it too?” Shami said during the post-match presentation, underlining how the strategy helped him deliver when it mattered most.
