In an electrifying encounter at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, the Lucknow Super Giants defeated the Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in Match 16 of IPL 2025. Despite a strong half-century performance from Suryakumar Yadav, the Mumbai team fell short of the target. The LSG bowlers displayed an exceptional performance, restricting the Mumbai Indians to just 191 runs. A standout contribution came from Shardul Thakur, a player overlooked in the auction, who turned the game around with an incredible 19th over. This match highlights the unpredictability and excitement of the IPL, drawing fans worldwide.
What Happened in the 19th Over?
During Mumbai Indians’ innings, they required 29 runs from the final 2 overs to secure victory. Captain Rishabh Pant entrusted Shardul Thakur with the crucial 19th over. Thakur delivered a remarkable performance, allowing only 7 runs, which significantly shifted the momentum in favor of Lucknow. Importantly, he did not give the Mumbai batsmen any opportunity to hit boundaries or sixes. In this over, Tilak Varma was retired out, replaced by Mitchell Santner. Varma had scored 25 runs off 23 balls. Impressively, Thakur has claimed 7 wickets in 4 matches this season, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure, particularly when he took four wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad, silencing his critics.
Containing Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma
With 12 balls remaining in the match, Mumbai Indians needed 29 runs, and they still had 6 wickets in hand, with Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma at the crease. However, Shardul Thakur skillfully outfoxed both batsmen with his varied bowling. As a result, he conceded only 7 runs in the over, setting the stage for Avesh Khan in the final over, needing to defend 22 runs. Although Khan conceded a six on the first ball, he regained his rhythm and prevented Hardik from capitalizing further on his deliveries with precise yorkers.
Before the brilliance of the 19th over, Shardul had already provided the team with an early breakthrough. In the third over of the innings, he took the crucial wicket of opener Ryan Rickelton, leaving the Mumbai team reeling at 17 runs with 2 wickets down. This early pressure on the middle and lower-order batsmen was instrumental in Lucknow’s eventual victory.