'They executed their skills incredibly well'- Shane Watson on Lucknow Super Giants' victory over Mumbai Indians

The Lucknow SuperGiants went on to end up victorious in the game against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The two-time IPL winner and expert Shane Watson has given his insights on the game and explained how the game moved in LSG’s favor in the end. 

The game looked to be in MI’s control at one stage with a partnership of Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav keeping the five-time champions in the game. However, the incredible spell by Digvesh Rathi and amazing death bowling by the pacers seemed to be enough for the home team to grab their first victory at home. This is the aspect where Shane Watson spoke about praising the bowlers' execution at the death and the fielding of the team during the clutch moments. Watson also praised Rathi for his performance, who was eventually adjudged as the player of the match.

“That was a crucial turnaround from their previous game, where they were convincingly beaten by Punjab Kings. To come back and close out a game like this speaks volumes about their resilience. With the bowlers they have, Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur aren't traditionally considered among the best death bowlers in this IPL, but they executed their skills incredibly well tonight,” Watson spoke exclusively on JioHotstar.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant penalised for LSG's slow over-rate against Mumbai Indians

“Their performance under pressure will give both of them, and the entire team, a massive confidence boost, knowing they can close out games at critical moments. LSG’s fielding was outstanding as well. You could see the energy and desperation on the field, especially with Nicholas Pooran, who was diving around and giving it his all. That kind of attitude ran through the entire team,” The Aussie all-rounder added.

“It seemed like he was born to perform on this IPL stage. He wasn’t reserved—he was out there, beating his chest, showing confidence, and executing beautifully. What stands out about Digvesh is how simple he keeps his game. He runs in, uses his variations—the carrom ball and off-spinner—but his control over length is what makes him so dangerous. When a bowler gets the length right, it’s tough for batters to step out or go on the back foot. To think that in a high-scoring game, where nearly 200 runs were posted, he conceded just 21 runs in his four overs—that’s something very, very special,” Watson said.

“It’s the kind of impact we usually see from Sunil Narine. That’s why he was the Man of the Match—performances like this don’t happen often. But that’s the beauty of the IPL. Every season, new talents like Digvesh burst onto the scene and showcase their incredible skills,” Watson concluded.

Shardul executed brilliantly: Shane Watson

Watson, along with Rathi, did not fail to praise the likes of Shardul Thakur who was bowling the tough overs during the match. He also mentioned how he has managed to come back fro tough moments from going unsold in the auction and now delivering after coming into the tournament as a replacement.

“Shardul executed brilliantly. He knew he had to commit to his yorker. Typically, bowlers rely on changes of pace early on, but that just wasn’t working tonight. So, he focused on nailing his yorkers, especially against an in-form Hardik Pandya. Bowling a seven-run over at such a crucial stage, with Hardik at the crease, was special. That’s a big confidence booster for him. Given that Shardul went unsold in the auction and then got picked up as a free agent, you can see how determined he is to prove himself. He’s now delivered two strong performances, and this one played a major role in LSG getting over the line,” The former World Champions said.