Lucknow Super Giants’ young spinner Digvesh Rathi turned the tide with a brilliant spell against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2025 clash at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. With MI cruising thanks to a strong partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir, the pressure was mounting on the home side, but Rathi had other ideas.
Introduced into the attack just as the Mumbai duo looked set to take the game away, Rathi made an immediate impact. Bowling the first delivery of the 9th over, the mystery spinner bowled a beauty outside off at a good length. Naman Dhir, who had looked dangerous with a quickfire 46, attempted to flick it too square, only to get an inside edge before the ball crashed into the off-stump.
It was the breakthrough LSG desperately needed, and Rathi celebrated in style with his now-familiar “notebook celebration” — a move that had previously earned him a fine from the BCCI. The celebration might be flashy, but Rathi’s bowling was all business.
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His variations, control, and confidence in the middle overs halted Mumbai’s momentum just when it looked like they were ready to explode. With Suryakumar still at the crease, the pressure was back on MI.
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Earlier, after the first innings, Hardik Pandya gathered his Mumbai side for a quick huddle and pep talk. The all-rounder led from the front with a historic five-wicket haul—his first in T20 cricket. It was only the second time a team crossed 200 at the Ekana Stadium, but Pandya’s late bowling adjustments made a difference, especially after Marsh and Markram had cashed in on the early pace-friendly conditions with contrasting yet effective half-centuries.
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Contributions from Badoni and Miller further bolstered LSG’s innings despite failures from Pooran and Pant. MI’s spinners had a mixed outing—Mitchell Santner went for his most expensive IPL figures, while young Puthur showed composure with a tight spell.
With LSG eyeing control and Ravi Bishnoi waiting as a potential Impact Player, all eyes are on whether Rathi’s heroics will inspire a home victory.
