RR vs LSG IPL 2025 Match 36 Highlights: Avesh Khan defends nine off the last over to win it for LSG

Rajasthan Royals hosted the Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Maan Singh Stadium. Without their regular skipper, the Royals once again failed to close out the match and suffered their fourth defeat in a row.

Bowling first, the hosts picked up a couple of wickets in the first six overs. Wanindu Hasaranga picked up Rishabh Pant’s wicket soon after the power play. However, Markram remained at the crease even with wickets falling around him. The South African batter, alongside Ayush Badoni, laid out the platform for a huge score before Abdul Samad scored 30 runs in only 10 balls. 

In the second innings, all eyes were on Yashasvi Jaiswal and his opening partner. In the absence of their regular skipper and opening batter, Sanju Samson, a 14-year-old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi walked out to bat, becoming the youngest player to debut in the history of the IPL. The openers batted positively and for a moment looked that they would seal the win on their own. However, the Rishabh Pant-led side made a strong comeback and bounced back to winning ways after losing to CSK in their previous match. 

Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2025 Match 36: Man of the Match

Avesh Khan was named the player of the match for his match-winning spell. The right-arm pacer picked up three wickets at crucial junctures, winning the game for his side against his former team. He dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag in the 18th over to derail the chase from the hosts. In the final over, Avesh struck once again, dismissing the danger man, Shimron Hetmyer, while he successfully defended only nine runs in the last six balls. 

Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2025 Match 36: Top Performers

Avesh Khan - 3/37

It was Mitchell Starc a couple of days ago against the same set of Rajasthan Royals, and tonight it was former RR man, Avesh Khan, who produced a match-winning spell for Lucknow Super Giants. Not only did the right-arm pacer pick up three wickets, but it was the players he dismissed that sealed the win for the Royals. He clean bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball of the 18th over. On the final ball of the same over, Avesh dismissed Riyan Parag. In the last over, he was tasked to defend only nine runs, like Starc, Avesh too nailed his yorkers but went a step further than the Australian pacer. While Starc could only push the game to a super over, Avesh’s last over allowed LSG to win the match there itself.

Aiden Markram - 66 (45)

Aiden Markram, like the rest of the LSG top-order, has been a consistent performer for the Super Giants. He continued his fine form from the season tonight, scoring 66 runs in only 45 balls. The South African batter played with great intent even when wickets were falling around him. He struck five fours and three sixes in his innings.

Abdul Samad - 30* (10)

In the end, Abdul Samad’s 10-ball knock proved to be the difference between a win and a loss for the Super Giants. The right-handed batter struck four sixes in the last over of the first innings against Sandeep Sharma and pushed the Super Giants to a score of 180.

Yashasvi Jaiswal - 74 (52)

Yashasvi Jaiswal played a match-winning knock in the second innings. The left-handed opener walked in to bat with the 14-year-old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Both batters gave the Royals a blistering start at the Sawai Maan Singh Stadium. Chasing 181 runs, Jaiswal’s 74-run knock meant that the hosts, after losing three games on the trot, registered only their third win of the season. He smashed four sixes and five fours in his 52-ball stay at the crease. 

Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2025 Match 36: 1st Innings Summary

Lucknow Super Giants played in different gears throughout their batting innings. Even though for possibly the first time in the season, the Rajasthan Royals put out a collective bowling performance, LSG’s Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, and Abdul Samad were too good for them. Markram scored 66 runs off 45 balls to lay the base for the rest of the batters. However, the rest of the top order featuring Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Rishabh Pant could only score 18 runs in 23 balls. The support for Markram came from the impact sub, Ayush Badoni. Badoni struck a half-century off 34 deliveries. Abdul Samad provided the finishing touches to the innings, scoring 30 runs in only 10 balls.

For the hosts, every bowler, barring Sandeep Sharma, had a fairly decent outing. Wanindu Hasaranga picked up a couple of wickets. Tushar Deshpande and Jofra Archer had a wicket each against their names. Maheesh Theekshana in spite of going wicketless, bowled economically.

Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2025 Match 36: 2nd Innings Summary

It was a huge comeback from the LSG bowlers in the second innings, after for the best part of the chase seemed like the hosts would comfortably win the clash. Opening the innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi started strongly for the hosts. Suryavanshi, 14 years old, was making his debut and did not show any signs of nerves when he struck the first ball he faced for a six. They shared an 85-run opening stand before the teenager was dismissed. It was a horror show from that point onwards for the Royals as Jaiswal in spite of scoring a half-century, could not seal the win for them.

For LSG, most of their bowlers were taken for the cleaners in their opening spells. However, each of them made strong comebacks and finished on a high. But none of those comebacks were as strong as the one made by Avesh Khan. The right-arm pacer picked up crucial wickets of Jaiswal and Riyan Parag in the death overs before successfully defending nine runs off the final six balls.