Rishabh Pant hit an unbeaten 68 off 68 balls to guide Lucknow Super Giants to a five‑wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026. He needed nine runs from the last over and finished with three consecutive fours, sealing the chase with one ball remaining. The innings showed his growth into a calm, calculated finisher.

Rishabh Pant guides Lucknow to thriller against Sunrisers

Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 68 off 68 balls guided Lucknow Super Giants to a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tenth match of IPL 2026 on April 5. Chasing 157, Pant finished the job in the final over, hitting three consecutive fours to seal the win with one ball remaining. The match turned in the 19th over when Pant smashed two fours off Harshal Patel, leaving nine runs needed from the final over. He opened the last over with another four, turning a tense chase into a comfortable finish.

The victory marked a statement win for Lucknow, who had previously struggled to close out chases in death overs. Pant's knock demonstrated his evolution from a power-hitter into a more calculated middle-order anchor, mixing steady rotation with selective aggression.

Shami's early spell dismantles Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad's innings never recovered from a catastrophic start. Put in to bat, they slumped to 35 for 4 inside the first ten overs, with veteran pacer Mohammed Shami delivering a spell of 4-0-9-2. Shami removed the dangerous opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head with subtle variations, before Prince Yadav added a sharp in-swinger that dismissed Ishan Kishan. Struggling Liam Livingstone fell soon after, leaving Hyderabad at 26 for 4.

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  • Lucknow chased 157 and won by five wickets on April 5, 2026.
  • Pant arrived at the crease with nine runs required from the final over and hit four, four, and four to finish.
  • Earlier in the match he steadied the innings with calculated rotation and selective aggression.
  • Sunrisers Hyderabad fell to 35/4 in the first ten overs, helped by Mohammed Shami 4-0-9-2 spell.
  • Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy rescued Hyderabad with a 116‑run partnership.
  • Lucknow top order contributed, notably Aiden Markram 45 before his dismissal.
  • Pant performance reflects his evolution since his IPL debut in 2016 into a reliable finisher and wicket‑keeper‑batter.

Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy then stitched together a rescue partnership of 116 runs for the fifth wicket. After a cautious start, they accelerated through the middle overs, amassing 79 runs between overs 11 and 15. Klaasen's 62 off 41 and Reddy's 56 off 33 featured seven sixes and eight fours, briefly raising hopes of a total above 180. Manimaran Siddharth broke the stand by dismissing Reddy, and Avesh Khan removed Klaasen and Harsh Dubey in quick succession. Prince Yadav bowled a tidy final over, conceding just ten runs, as Hyderabad finished at 156 for 9.

Pant's calculated chase anchors LSG reply

Lucknow's reply began positively with South African Aiden Markram scoring 45 before falling to young spinner Shivang Kumar. With Nicholas Pooran run-out and Ayush Badoni dismissed by Harsh Dubey, the chase wavered. Abdul Samad's quick cameo added a couple of boundaries, easing tension, but Dubey removed Samad in the 18th over.

Pant, now the senior figure in the LSG line-up, took charge. He rotated the strike efficiently, keeping the scoreboard moving without undue risk. At the start of the penultimate over, Harshal Patel gave away only four runs, leaving Lucknow needing nine off the final over. Pant opened the over with two fours that swung the equation dramatically, then finished with another four to end the innings on a gritty half-century.

Pant's evolution in IPL 2026

Pant entered the 2026 season as Lucknow's left-handed wicketkeeper-batter and de facto captain. His IPL debut came in 2016, and over the years he has shifted from a pure power-hitter to a more rounded middle-order anchor. The 68-run knock against Hyderabad illustrates that transition. Rather than relying solely on brute force, Pant mixed selective aggression with steady rotation, a pattern increasingly evident in his recent innings.

rishabh pant indian premier league 2026

His wicket-keeping duties add a physical and mental load few specialist batters manage. Handling catches, stumpings, and occasional run-outs while maintaining batting focus demands high fitness and concentration. Against Hyderabad, Pant's ability to stay at the crease for 68 balls while the opposition pressed hard demonstrated his growing stamina and mental resilience.

  • Pant's 68* off 68 balls secured a five‑wicket win for Lucknow Super Giants against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
  • He finished the chase with three consecutive fours in the last over, needing nine runs with one ball left.
  • The innings highlighted Pant shift from pure power hitting to a balanced, middle‑order anchor role.
  • Lucknow improved death‑over finishing gave them a stronger position in the IPL 2026 points table.
  • Pant ability to bat through 68 balls while keeping wickets shows growing stamina and mental resilience.

Lucknow's improved championship standing

The win lifted Lucknow Super Giants to a stronger position in the points table. Prior to this match, the team had struggled to chase modest totals, often falling short in the death overs. Pant's finish, requiring nine runs from the last six balls, showed the side now possesses a reliable finisher in high-pressure situations. The combination of Shami's bowling mastery upfront and Pant's composed chase leadership gives Lucknow a balanced attack capable of defending low totals and chasing carefully.