n a moment that combined athleticism and significance, Rahul Tripathi marked his 100th IPL appearance with a sensational catch, removing Aiden Markram in the very first over of the clash between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Ekana Stadium on Monday. It was a sharp piece of fielding that set the tone early in this high-stakes IPL 2025 encounter.
The dismissal came off the final ball of Khaleel Ahmed’s opening over. Bowling from around the wicket, Khaleel delivered a back-of-a-length ball angled across the right-hander. Markram, anticipating an inswinger, closed the face of his bat a tad early.
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The ball, however, held its line and bounced more than expected, catching the leading edge. It ballooned into the air behind mid-off, where Tripathi sprinted back with the ball swirling overhead and completed a tough catch on the run. A special effort on a milestone night.
WHAT A CATCH! Certainly a contender for Catch of the Season! 🤯
Just the start #RahulTripathi wanted in his 100th IPL match! 🙌
Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/s4GGBvRcda#IPLonJioStar 👉 #LSGvCSK | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/WVmZfyoD5p
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 14, 2025
Earlier, CSK captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first, citing the likelihood of dew as a factor that might make batting easier in the second half. “We are blessed with fan support wherever we go,” Dhoni said with a smile. “The wicket tends to improve under lights, so bowling first gives us an advantage. We’ve struggled for consistency with the bat, so it’s all about staying positive and backing ourselves to play those big shots.”
CSK made two changes for this contest, bringing in Shaik Rasheed and Jamie Overton in place of Devon Conway and Ravichandran Ashwin.
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LSG, meanwhile, welcomed Mitchell Marsh back into the side, with Himmat Singh making way. Rishabh Pant, speaking at the toss, mentioned he would’ve opted to bowl first too. “It’s always a bit slow here early on, then it gets better. We just want to keep CSK from getting momentum. That’s the only key — give 100% and play smart cricket,” Pant said.
With two legendary captains at the helm and key changes in both lineups, the stage was set for another intriguing IPL battle in Lucknow.
