Sri Lanka pacer Eshan Malinga pulled of a stunner of a catch of his own bowling for Sunrisers Hyderabad to dismiss Lucknow Supe Giants skipper Rishabh Pant in Lucknow on Monday.
The catch comes amid Pant's search for form after promoting himself to No 3 in his first match since the resumption of the IPL.
The left-hander look scratchy at the crease after a 115-run opening partnership between Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. His decision to bat ahead of Nicholas Pooran, who has been LSG's most dangerous hitter, raised eyebrows. Despite his efforts to play aggressively and display positive body language, Pant managed only seven runs off six deliveries.
Pant was deceived by a slower ball from the Sri Lankan pacer on the final ball of the 12th over. Beaten for pace, The wicketkeeper-batter chipped the ball straight back towards the bowler. Malinga plucked out one of the catches of the tournaments, diving to his left and taking a spectacular one-handed catch.
With minimal time to react, Eshan timed his dive perfectly, completing one of the finest return catches of the season.
Pant has managed only 135 runs in 12 matches, at a dismal average of 12.27 and a strike rate of just 100. His lack of confidence has been evident in his body language. He has been far from the flamboyance he is known for.
Despite Pant's continued struggles, Nicholas Pooran's brisk cameo helped Lucknow Super Giants post a competitive total of 205. SunRisers Hyderabad, however, let the game slip in the death overs, lacking discipline with the ball and missing the chance to restrict LSG to under 190. Eshan stood out for SunRisers with the ball taking two wickets and conceding less than 7 runs per over in his four-over quota.
The catch comes amid Pant's search for form after promoting himself to No 3 in his first match since the resumption of the IPL.
The left-hander look scratchy at the crease after a 115-run opening partnership between Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. His decision to bat ahead of Nicholas Pooran, who has been LSG's most dangerous hitter, raised eyebrows. Despite his efforts to play aggressively and display positive body language, Pant managed only seven runs off six deliveries.
Pant was deceived by a slower ball from the Sri Lankan pacer on the final ball of the 12th over. Beaten for pace, The wicketkeeper-batter chipped the ball straight back towards the bowler. Malinga plucked out one of the catches of the tournaments, diving to his left and taking a spectacular one-handed catch.
With minimal time to react, Eshan timed his dive perfectly, completing one of the finest return catches of the season.
Magnificent Malinga! 🪽😮
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2025
Athleticism on display from Eshan Malinga as he grabs a stunner to send back Rishabh Pant! 👌#LSG 133/2 after 13 overs.
Updates â–¶ https://t.co/GNnZh90u7T#TATAIPLÂ |Â #LSGvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/5rSouA8Kw0
Pant has managed only 135 runs in 12 matches, at a dismal average of 12.27 and a strike rate of just 100. His lack of confidence has been evident in his body language. He has been far from the flamboyance he is known for.
Despite Pant's continued struggles, Nicholas Pooran's brisk cameo helped Lucknow Super Giants post a competitive total of 205. SunRisers Hyderabad, however, let the game slip in the death overs, lacking discipline with the ball and missing the chance to restrict LSG to under 190. Eshan stood out for SunRisers with the ball taking two wickets and conceding less than 7 runs per over in his four-over quota.
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