Rishabh Pant Analyzes Lucknow Super Giants' Defeat to Punjab Kings in IPL 2025
Match Overview
Following a defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant discussed the factors contributing to the team's loss in their 54th match of the tournament.
Despite a commendable half-century from Ayush Badoni and an 81-run partnership with Abdul Samad, LSG faced a 37-run defeat at the HPCA Stadium in Dharmasala on Sunday.
Rishabh Pant's Insights on the Loss
With this victory, PBKS secured the second position in the standings, boasting seven wins, three losses, and one no result, totaling 15 points. In contrast, LSG is positioned seventh with five wins and six losses, accumulating 10 points.
"We definitely conceded too many runs. Dropping crucial catches at pivotal moments can significantly impact the game. We anticipated more from the pitch but misjudged the length early on. It's part of the game. Our aspirations remain intact; if we can win our next three matches, we can still turn things around. It's essential for our top order to perform consistently, but we can't rely solely on them. As mentioned earlier, chasing a high target was detrimental to us," Pant stated during the post-match press conference.
Match Details: How LSG Lost to PBKS
In the match, LSG won the toss and chose to bat first.
Josh Inglis provided a quick contribution of 30 runs off 14 balls, while a significant 78-run partnership between Prabhsimran and captain Shreyas Iyer (who scored 45 runs off 25 balls) and a 54-run fifth-wicket partnership between Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh (33 not out off 15 balls) propelled PBKS to a total of 236/5 in their 20 overs.
Akash Singh (2/30) and Digvesh Rathi (2/46) were the standout bowlers for LSG.
During the chase, LSG found themselves struggling at 73/5. However, an 81-run partnership between Ayush Badoni (74 runs off 40 balls) and Abdul Samad (45 runs off 24 balls) provided a glimmer of hope, but LSG ultimately finished at 199/7.
Arshdeep Singh had an impressive four-over spell, conceding just 16 runs and claiming three wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai also contributed with 2/33 in his four overs, while Marco Jansen and Yuzi Chahal each took one wicket.