Lucknow Super Giants' captain Indian cricket player Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday. — AFP HYDERABAD, India, Apr 05 (AFP): Mohammed Shami's figures of 2-9 and an unbeaten 68 by skipper Rishabh Pant led Lucknow Super Giants to a tense five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Sunday.
Pace bowler Shami's inspirational opening spell had Hyderabad tottering at 26-4 before the home team reached 156-9 at the Uppal stadium.
Lucknow started strongly but wobbled in the middle phase before the left-handed Pant kept calm to steer the team home with one ball to spare for their first win of the season in two matches. Aiden Markram's 45 off 27 balls set up the chase but Lucknow lost quick wickets including impact substitute Ayush Badoni, stumped for 12, and Nicholas Pooran, run out for one.
Needing nine off the final over, Pant, a wicketkeeper-batter, hit three fours including the winning boundary off Jaydev Unadkat. Shami stood out after he took down Hyderabad's dangerous openers Abhishek Sharma, for a duck, and Travis Head, for seven, on successive balls in his first two overs.
He had Sharma caught at short third off the last delivery of his opener and Head then taken at mid-off from the first ball of his second over.
India's veteran quick Shami has 462 international wickets across three formats but has fallen off the radar of national selectors despite consistent domestic performances.
The 35-year-old Shami last played for India in the final of the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy in Dubai.
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