Not a single run was allowed in 18 balls… Not Pant, this 35 year old player got the Player of the Match award.

New Delhi. Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc with his bowling in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Due to the sharp bowling of 35-year-old Shami, playing for Lucknow Super Giants, LSG restricted Hyderabad to 160. Shami’s lethal line-length and accuracy not only brought the opposition batsmen to their knees, but also gave a strong message to the national selectors about his skill and experience on the basis of domestic cricket and fitness. Experienced right-arm fast bowler Shami was given the Player of the Match award for his excellent bowling.

On the foundation of victory prepared by the bowlers, captain Rishabh Pant built the victory with his responsible batting. Ignoring the criticism coming from outside, Pant played a restrained inning of 68 not out in 50 balls, which included 9 brilliant fours. When the LSG team was under pressure, Pant held one end and in the thrill of the last over, Lucknow Super Giants won by 5 wickets with one ball to spare. After the match, he made it clear that for him, the team’s trust and his own preparation matter more than external noise, to which he responded with his bat on the field.

Fast bowling leader Mohammed Shami said after the important win over Lucknow Super Giants that being prepared for matches through domestic cricket and maintaining excellent fitness while honing his skills was important in his excellent performance. Shami said, ‘If you want to play, it is important to keep pace with the game. If you are fit, only then you can work on your skills. So I stayed in touch with the game and played all the domestic matches.

‘It was very important to win the match’
Expressing satisfaction over the result of the match, he said that it is very important to build momentum after defeat. Shami said, ‘I am happy. We had lost our last match, so winning this match was very important to build momentum. He said that being physically fit enables a player to work on his art, hence he considered it necessary to play in domestic matches to maintain his rhythm. The experienced fast bowler also emphasized that both skill and experience are necessary at the highest level. He said, ‘Nothing happens without skill or experience.’

Pant ended the match by hitting two consecutive fours.
Chasing the target became a bit challenging in the last over, when nine runs were needed to win. But captain Rishabh Pant ended the match in style by hitting two consecutive fours on Jaydev Unadkat. Pant hit the second ball in a forehand style like tennis, while he ended the match with a four over mid-off.