The Indian Premier League can lay claim to some jaw-dropping performances, record-breaking feats, and cricketing milestones. It was perfectly set-up for Mitchell Marsh to propel the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to an easy and comfortable win, to put his name into history in the long history of this league, in Match 64 of IPL 2025.
On a sultry Thursday night in Ahmedabad, Marsh provided a simply scintillating display for the luckless Gujarat Titans (GT), as the Narendra Modi Stadium erupted to bask in moments of magic from the much-loved all-rounder. Marsh amassed his first IPL century, smashing 117 off 64 balls and leaving LSG with 235/2 vs GT. Marsh became the 11th Australian player in history to score a century in the IPL, another historic landmark in his own private and public journey.
Marsh’s Century: Timing and Execution
Marsh’s innings was a beautiful blend of timing and power and cricket intelligence. Granted, Marsh took 56 balls to make his ton, but it was an innings that consisted of 10 & 6 respectively. Importantly for Marsh (a power player), he was able to pick and choose his opportunities to play the ball as opposed to picking the ball and sending it down.
He started in understated fashion, sharing a first wicket partnership with Aiden Markram. The pair was able to get LSG to a respectable position, having scored 53/0 by large of their powerplay. With a mythical sort of approach to batting, Marsh who is a bold-striker turned the table on GT for the first time. He climbed into GT’s number one spinner (Sai Kishore) and hit a terrific six to register his fifty and subsequently the rampage began to totally dominate the LSG parade to the locker-room.
In the end, we watched an electrifying display of big hitting, from Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, putting down a match defining partnership. Their partnership of 121 came from only 51 balls, providing the turning point LSG was waiting for. Marsh launching Rashid Khan for 25 runs in one over was important for both prescriptions fortify confidence, and deniable pure evidence, he is capable of cleaning up the best.
Family Ties Continue
As if Marsh completing a century was not impressive enough, he is also now a member of the elite IPL century club, following in his brother Shaun Marsh’s step in being the only Australian to score an IPL century back in 2008. At two completely different ends of the IPL, both with exciting biographies through distinct times, the brothers, have respectively created two very specific records in IPL history.
Shaun Marsh dominant performance from the first season of the IPL made sure every team knew who he was, and Mitchell’s century adds to the Marsh legacy. While one hundred of a T20 first, eventually the cricketing lineage grows.
A Season to Remember
However, just because Marsh scored a hundred wouldn’t mean his century achieved solely by luck, but rather, purely the middle continuation of excellent form this whole season. With more than 500 runs overall, including six fifty plus scores, one can say he remains amongst the more consistent batters played this season in IPL 2023. Marsh’s input upfront in the batting order has been incredibly valuable providing rapid starts whilst at times anchoring innings.
Even if LSG’s playoff hopes had been vanquished earlier in the week, Marsh completing a tucked away, hundred clearly articulated, they wouldn’t be going out without clearly leaving sting in the tail. whilst a 33 run defeat stamp authority in the minds to top of the table GT, also require a reminder of what our franchise is capable achieving.
Impact for LSG and the League
Marsh having the hundred could not have come at a better time. Of course, LSG context had little left to play for in terms of qualification, but wreaking GT’s plans for a top two finish were still a worthy prize. Greater than that however, solidified his statements around the competition to LSG still could humiliate any team on any given day.
For the IPL itself, performances from international stars like this continues to elevate the international profile of the league. Marsh, an internationally respected cricketer, showed everybody why he is among the most valuable players in T20 cricket.
That type of innings can be a turning point in careers and across family histories and countries. After launching himself to just outside 120 runs, tributes were particularly rich from previously successful players or those still in their prime. From cricket icons and commentators, the recognition to Marsh for the composure, execution and timing of the innings was flattering. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting called the batting “a power-packed innings of the highest quality”, whilst LSG head coach Justin Langer called Marsh’s effort “inspiring”.
Teammate Nicholas Pooran, who unleashed a scintillating 56* in the same game, called Marsh’s ton, “one of the best knocks he have ever seen live”, to highlight just how impactful the innings was on the final result of the game.
Looking Ahead
With a handful of matches remaining of IPL 2025, although Marsh’s form (if at all) could still indirectly influence the final league table, should LSG find a couple more wins, and get in the way of other teams vying for playoff positions, more importantly, Marsh’s century should allow him to build further on his T20 reputation or eye for leadership opportunities or actually securing a permanent position in the T20 team for Australia.
On perhaps a relevant note, in a league that is forever changing and proving to not only a difficult competition to win personally, Mitchell Marsh’s first IPL century was a moment of revelation- a demonstration of the quality, intent and entertainment that elite level cricket brings to the tournament and not only a personal achievement but a televised occasion that the IPL community will remember for time to come.
Conclusion
Mitchell Marsh’s masterclass of 117 runs was more than numerical values on a piece of paper. It was honouring resilience, honouring form, honouring pride for family. It is moments like this where the IPL is forever changing that represent the identity of the league – excitement, unpredictability and always entertaining. And for Mitchell Marsh, it was a night he won’t forget soon, fulfilling a moment in cricket history that personifies what the IPL is.
