Pandya propels Lucknow to 5-wicket win over Hyderabad

LUCKNOW, India (AP): Krunal Pandya’s all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad propelled Lucknow Super Giants to the top of the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Pandya’s left-arm spin bagged 3-18 and helped to pin down Hyderabad for 121-8. He then smashed 34 off 23 balls in Lucknow’s easy run chase of 127-5 with four overs to spare.

“Very good day at the office,” Pandya said. “Everything was special today. Last four or five months I took a break from cricket. I just worked on my skills, especially on bowling.”

With its second home win, Lucknow moved atop the table, while Hyderabad remained rooted to the bottom.

Hyderabad’s decision to bat first on a slow pitch didn’t go its way as Pandya struck with his fifth ball in the batting powerplay when Mayank Agarwal was caught at extra cover.

Hyderabad struggled for momentum against spinners. Pandya trapped Anmolpreet Singh for 31 and clean-bowled captain Aiden Markram when the next delivery hit the off stump.

Harry Brook, Hyderabad’s big signing, continued to struggle against spin and was stumped off Ravi Bishnoi’s legspin after scoring 3 off four balls. Hyderabad slipped to 55-4 in nine overs.

Veteran Amit Mishra (2-23) and Bishnoi (1-16) played their part in strangling the Hyderabad batters in the middle overs before Abdul Samad’s 21-run cameo off 10 balls.

In Lucknow’s reply, Pandya and skipper Lokesh Rahul (35) shared a key 55-run stand for the third wicket. Pandya was out with 22 runs needed for victory.

Legspinner Adil Rashid claimed Rahul and Romario Shepherd off successive deliveries but Nicholas Pooran hit the winning runs when he smashed a six against Thangarasu Natarajan over backward square leg.

“Not enough (runs),” Markram said. “That 150-160 mark, and we would have been in the game. We realized it wasn’t going to be a great wicket for batting . . . happy to fight it out and scratch away.”