April 05, 2026: Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant starred as Lucknow Super Giants secured their first win of the Indian Premier League 2026 season with a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. Shami set the tone early with a brilliant spell, conceding just 9 runs in his four overs while picking up two crucial wickets. His control and smart use of slower deliveries troubled the batters and ensured Hyderabad never gained full momentum, eventually finishing at 156 for 9.

Sunrisers Hyderabad had a difficult start as Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head fell early to Shami’s disciplined bowling. The pressure increased when Ishan Kishan and Liam Livingstone were also dismissed quickly, leaving the team struggling at 26 for 4. At that stage, it looked like Hyderabad might collapse for a very low total.

Klaasen and Reddy Lead the Fightback

However, Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy showed great character and counter-attacked to rebuild the innings. The duo added an impressive 116 runs for the fifth wicket, shifting the momentum back in Hyderabad’s favour. Klaasen scored a well-made 62, while Reddy supported him with 56, as both batters took advantage of the middle overs to put pressure on the Lucknow bowlers.

Just when Hyderabad looked set for a bigger total, Lucknow’s bowlers made a strong comeback in the death overs. Key wickets fell in quick succession, and the scoring rate slowed down. Hyderabad lost five wickets for just 33 runs in the final overs, which prevented them from reaching a total beyond 160.

Not our day. pic.twitter.com/4WOMjxFDXD

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 5, 2026

Markram Provides Early Momentum, Pant Seals the Win

Chasing 157, Lucknow Super Giants got off to a positive start with Aiden Markram playing an attacking innings of 45 off 27 balls. However, the pitch made stroke play difficult, and wickets fell at regular intervals, keeping the match finely balanced. Despite the pressure, Rishabh Pant stayed at the crease and paced his innings carefully, ensuring his team remained in contention.

With 9 runs needed from the final over, the responsibility was squarely on Pant. Facing Jaydev Unadkat, he showcased his class by hitting two crucial boundaries off the first two deliveries. After two dot balls, Pant lofted one over mid-off to seal the victory. His unbeaten 68, combined with Shami’s brilliant early bowling, ensured a well-deserved and thrilling win for Lucknow Super Giants.

Brief Scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 160 for 5 (Pant 68*, Markram 45, Dubey 2-18) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 156 for 9 (Klaasen 62, Reddy 56, Shami 2-9) by five wickets