Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) edged out Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 2 runs in a last-over thriller at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. It was the 36th match of IPL 2025. Avesh Khan kept his cool in the final over and didn’t allow the Rajasthan batters to score freely. He also took the crucial wicket of Shimron Hetmyer.
Aiden Markram played a superb innings for LSG. Despite wickets falling around him, he kept going and built an important partnership with Ayush Badoni, who also scored a half-century. Abdul Samad’s contribution in the final over helped LSG post a total of 180. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave Rajasthan Royals a blazing start along with Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but Rajasthan lost their nerve under pressure and eventually lost the match in the final over.
Slow Start of LSG and Early Blows
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and chose to bat. Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh opened the innings. Jofra Archer bowled the first over for Rajasthan Royals. Marsh opened his account with three runs. Markram followed with two quick boundaries. LSG reached 12/0 after the first over.
Theekshana bowled the second over and gave away only three runs. Archer struck in the third over, dismissing Marsh for just 4 runs. Nicholas Pooran came in at No. 3. LSG were 18/1 after 3 overs.
Markram Takes Charge
In the fourth over, Markram hit two boundaries off Theekshana. Both batters got one boundary each in Archer’s next over. Pooran smashed a four to start the sixth over but got trapped LBW by Sandeep Sharma on the next ball. He scored 11 off 8. Pant came in next. After the powerplay, LSG stood at 46/2. Markram was on 29 off 18; Pant was yet to score.
Middle Overs
Deshpande bowled the seventh over. With singles, LSG reached 50. Hasaranga removed Pant in the next over. Ayush Badoni came in as the Impact Player. LSG were 55/3 after eight overs.
Badoni got going with a boundary in the ninth over. Markram then finished the tenth with two back-to-back sixes. LSG were at 80/3 after 10 overs. Markram stood at 47 off 29.
Markram, Badoni Build Momentum
Sandeep Sharma returned for the 11th. Markram completed his fifty in 31 balls. Badoni added two boundaries. LSG reached 92/3. In the 12th over, Markram hit a six and brought up the team’s 100. The duo also completed a 50-run stand. LSG reached 105/3.
Deshpande bowled a tight 13th over. Hasaranga and Theekshana kept the pressure on in the next two. LSG were 121/3 after 15 overs.
Markram Falls, Badoni Shines
In the 16th, Badoni smashed a six. But Hasaranga struck again and dismissed Markram for 66. David Miller came in. LSG reached 131/4 after 16 overs. Badoni hit a boundary in the 17th. In the 18th over, he reached his fifty in 33 balls but got out soon after. Abdul Samad came to the crease. Deshpande ended with a wicket and seven runs in the over.
Archer kept it tight in the 19th, giving only 7 runs. But Samad exploded in the 20th over. He smashed four sixes off Sandeep Sharma and remained unbeaten on 30 off 10. Miller stayed not out on 7. LSG finished at 180/5.
Rajasthan Start Strong
Chasing 181, Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi opened for RR. Shardul Thakur bowled the first over. Jaiswal hit a four, and Vaibhav launched a six off his first IPL ball. RR scored 13 in the opening over.
Avesh Khan came in and conceded a six to Vaibhav. Prince Yadav dropped him later in the over. Jaiswal continued the attack in the third over with a four and a six. RR reached 39/0 after 3 overs. Digvesh Singh bowled a tight 4th, conceding only 2.
RR Continue Aggression
Markram bowled the fifth. Jaiswal hit two sixes, bringing up the 50-run stand. After five overs, RR were at 55/0. Prince Yadav bowled the sixth. Jaiswal added another six, and RR reached 61/0 by the end of the powerplay.
Bishnoi bowled the seventh. Both batters scored a boundary. Digvesh gave away 11 in the eighth as Vaibhav ended it with a six. RR reached 82/0. Markram came back in the ninth. Jaiswal completed his fifty in 31 balls. Vaibhav got stumped on 34 off 20. Nitish Rana came in. RR stood at 86/1.
LSG Strikes Back
Shardul Thakur bowled the tenth. Rana hit a six but got out on the last ball. After 10 overs, RR were 94/2. Jaiswal was on 52. Riyan Parag joined him.
Bishnoi bowled a tight 11th, giving away only five. Parag smashed a six and four in the 12th, bringing up RR’s 100. Jaiswal added a boundary in the 13th. RR stood at 122/2. Bishnoi and Prince Yadav bowled tight 14th and 15th overs. RR were 135/2 after 15.
Jaiswal-Parag Partnership Grows
Parag hit a six off Avesh in the 16th. Jaiswal followed with a four, completing their 50-run stand. RR reached 148/2. Digvesh bowled the 17th and conceded 8 runs. RR moved to 156/2.
Avesh came back in the 18th and struck twice. He dismissed Jaiswal for 74 and Parag for 32. RR were suddenly 161/4. Hetmyer and Jurel were at the crease.
Final-Over Drama
Prince Yadav bowled the 19th. Hetmyer hit two crucial boundaries. RR reached 172/4, needing 9 off the final over. Avesh Khan bowled the 20th. He dismissed Hetmyer on the third ball. Shivam Dube came in. RR needed 4 on the last ball. Dube managed only a single.
LSG held their nerve and won the thriller by 2 runs. Avesh Khan gave just 6 runs and took 3 wickets in his final over. Jurel stayed unbeaten on 6, while Dube remained not out on 3.