Kamal Ghorui
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka reacted from the stands as his team’s bowlers wreaked havoc, reducing Sunrisers Hyderabad to 22 for 3 in the Powerplay during their IPL 2026 match in Hyderabad on Sunday.After opting to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants got early wickets. Shami (2/9) struck early blows, dismissing the opening duo of Abhishek Sharma (0) and Travis Head (7) in successive overs. Prince Yadav then removed SRH captain Ishan Kishan, leaving the home side under pressure early in the innings.From the stands, Goenka celebrated the wickets and was seen holding up a picture of Lord Tirupati after Prince Yadav dismissed Kishan.
The pitch at the venue offered assistance to fast bowlers, and Shami used the conditions to make early breakthroughs. With SRH already under pressure, Kishan came in at number three but was dismissed by Prince Yadav.Prince bowled a length delivery outside off, and Kishan went for a drive away from his body. The ball went through the gap between bat and pad and hit the stumps.Cameras showed Goenka smiling in the stands after the wicket. He then took out a photo of Lord Tirupati and sought blessings.In an interview, Goenka had earlier said that he carries a photo of Lord Tirupati with him and often holds it during high-pressure IPL matches.Later in the match, Heinrich Klaasen (62 off 41 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (56 off 33 balls) shared a 116-run stand for the fifth wicket to take SRH to a decent total.LSG skipper Rishabh Pant (68 not out) produced a captain’s knock after pacer Mohammed Shami weaved his magic, leading Lucknow Super Giants to a comfortable five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL match here on Sunday.
