Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant discussed about the defeat Punjab Kings (PBKS), and he acknowledged that they were still attempting to assess the conditions at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow since it was their first home game of the season. Pant admitted that LSG was short by 20-25 runs, which cost them the match in the end.
LSG Defeated On Home Ground
Sadly, LSG’s highly anticipated home debut did not quite go according to script with the captain’s batting woes continuing and the team unable to make the most of their quality-packed lineup. Returning just 171/7 in 20 overs, they could not defend the score, with PBKS easily chasing it down, bolstered by sensational knocks from Prabhsimran Singh, skipper Shreyas Iyer, and Nehal Wadhera a gameplan LSG themselves should have adopted.
Rishabh Pant Says LSG Still Trying To Assess Home Conditions
“It was not enough, we were 20-25 runs short, but that’s part and parcel of the game. Still assessing the conditions at our home ground. It is always going to be difficult to get a big total when you lose early wickets, but each and every player is trying hard to take the game forward. The idea was to get a slow wicket. I think the slower balls were sticking in. We got to learn from this game and move forward. There are a lot of positives, cannot say much.”
LSG’s Batting Collapse
Sent in to bat first, LSG were in deep trouble at 35/3. But key contributions from Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni, coupled with a late cameo by Abdul Samad, provided them with a fighting chance. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the PBKS bowlers, taking 3/43, while Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, and Yuzvendra Chahal also contributed wickets. In spite of a short resistance in the shape of a half-century partnership between Pooran and Badoni, LSG could not form meaningful partnerships.
Punjab Kings Register A Dominating Win
In the chase, PBKS lost Priyansh Arya early on, but strong performances by Prabhsimran, Iyer, and Wadhera made it an easy eight-wicket win with 22 balls remaining. Digvesh Rathi was the only silver lining with the ball for LSG, taking 2/30 from his four overs, but that wasn’t enough to stop PBKS in their stride. Punjab Kings have moved up to second place in the table with this win, two wins from two matches, while LSG, one win and two losses, have fallen to sixth position.
