Thakur and Pooran secure Lucknow's five-wicket win over Hyderabad

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Shardul Thakur dismantled the batting powerhouse of Sunrisers Hyderabad with 4-34 and Nicholas Pooran hit the season’s fastest half-century to lead Lucknow Super Giants to a five-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Thakur’s early strikes included the wickets of big-hitters Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan on successive deliveries and helped pin down Hyderabad to 190-9 after Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to chase.

Pooran’s blistering 70 off 26 balls then motored Lucknow to 193-5 in 16.1 overs with Mitchell Marsh, coming in as impact player at the top-order, scoring 52 off 31 balls.

Mohammed Shami had Aiden Markram caught at mid-off off his fourth ball in Lucknow’s run-chase before Pooran and Marsh featured in a brisk 116-run stand off just 43 balls.

Pooran completed his half-century off 18 balls with a swept six against Adam Zampa as Lucknow sprinted to 96-1 in just seven overs.

Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins trapped Pooran leg before wicket with a full pitched delivery from round the wicket, before his countryman Marsh completed his 50 with back-to-back boundaries against him.

Marsh fell soon afterward to Cummins when he holed out to long-on. Pant (15) sliced a catch to short third man and Ayush Badoni was spectacularly caught by Harshal Patel, who ran from mid-wicket and dived in time to pluck a brilliant catch.

Abdul Samad looked in a hurry when he smacked two sixes and two fours in his quickfire 22 off eight balls as Lucknow recorded its first win after losing to Delhi Capitals in their opener.

Thakur had earlier took the sting out of Hyderabad’s explosive top-order batting lineup with the wickets of Sharma and Kishan, who had scored a century against Rajasthan Royals last weekend.

Pooran was placed perfectly at deep square leg and Abhishek fell in the trap of a short ball while Kishan feathered a leg side catch of the first ball he faced of the fast bowler before Nitish Kumar Reddy survived the hat-trick ball.

Travis Head didn’t get bogged down with the fall of two early wickets and made 47 off 28 balls but couldn’t capitalize on a dropped catch before he was clean bowled by Prince Yadav (1-29) in the eighth over.

Hyderabad struggled to put up partnerships thereafter despite Aniket Verma smashing five sixes in his brisk 36-run knock off 13 balls as Thakur claimed two more wickets in his return spell to pin down Hyderabad at the same venue where it amassed 286 runs against Rajasthan last Sunday.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Lucknow Super Giants Shardul Thakur, left, and Ravi Bishnoi celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Nitish Kumar Reddy plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Prince Yadav, left, celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Prince Yadav, right, celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Prince Yadav reacts after a ball hit on his hand during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Avesh Khan celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain Pat Cummins during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain Pat Cummins, center, and Heinrich Klaasen, left, celebrates the dismissal of Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran celebrates after scoring fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Mitchell Marsh plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

CINCINNATI (AP) — After opening the season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns facing the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Flacco will close the season as the backup for the Bengals as they face the Browns on Sunday.

Flacco was dealt to the Bengals in October and made six starts for the Bengals while Joe Burrow was out with a toe injury.

“I don’t really think about putting a label on it,” Flacco said. “It’s crazy. Seasons always go by quick once they’ve started. But the way that this one went, it seems like it flew by.”

During the summer, in Cleveland Browns training camp, Flacco won a competition for the starting quarterback job and made four starts for Cleveland. In Week 1 against the Bengals, Flacco threw for 290 yards.

He said that over the past 17 weeks, he has seen improvement from the Bengals defense. Now, he refers to the Bengals defense as his team’s defense.

“We’re stopping the run,” Flacco said. “We’re getting more pressure on the quarterback. When you combine those two things, it’s going to help you out.”

While Flacco went 1-5 as a starter in Cincinnati, the 40-year-old played well. He threw for at least 200 yards in four of his six starts, and the Bengals offense averaged more than 27 points per game.

Flacco said that he developed a lot of respect for Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

“He has a lot of strengths,” Flacco said. “He’s really good at what he does. His demeanor, his overall personality and the way he leads men is really good. The way he puts game plans together. Also, he’s willing to allow it to be collaborative. That’s a strength. His game day play-calling is also something he does really well.”

Burrow took over as the starter when he returned on Thanksgiving, and Flacco has been the backup over the past month.

Flacco will be a free agent again at the end of the season. As he evaluates his options, he’s hoping to find another chance to play and to start.

“That’s always a priority,” Flacco said. “I’m somebody who wants to play football. You’ve got to assess and see whatever is thrown your way. You have to go from there and see what you can do about it.”

He said that he’d be open to returning to the Bengals, but he’ll weigh several factors.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Flacco said. “I don’t hope to do anything. I have an idea of maybe of what some goals would be. I’ll go from there and see what happens.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco throws during pregame warmups before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) calls a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)