Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced their worst defeat in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they suffered a batting collapse of epic proportions at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on May 10. After getting bundled out for their lowest IPL score against an in-form Gujarat Titans (GT) bowling lineup, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir did not consider it just an off day and called out players for ‘giving up’.
“See, there is nothing wrong in losing. There is nothing wrong in that. One team has to win and one team has to lose. But there is a lot wrong in giving up. Today, I thought that we gave up. We were weak. Honestly, there is no place for being weak in a tournament like IPL or in sport. That is where the problem is,” Gambhir said in the dressing room after LSG’s 62-run loss.
LSG suffered a batting collapse in their first game against Hardik Pandya-led GT as well. However, they managed to make a comeback with partnerships in middle order. However, in their second encounter against the table-toppers, Deepak Hooda ran out of partners as LSG were bundled out for 82 with 37 balls to spare in the run chase of 145.
“We have beaten teams in this competition. We have played really good cricket. But today that I thought we probably lacked that game sense which is more important, the two-time IPL-winning captain said.
Only three LSG batters managed to score in double-digits which include no.11 batter Avesh Khan. Other batters succumbed under the pressure and threw their wickets away.
“We knew that they will bowl well. We expect them to bowl well. It is a world class competition. You are playing against international bowlers. We want people to challenge us. No doubt about it. That’s what we play the sport for. We practice day in and day out because we want to be challenged,” the 40-year-old concluded.
Despite the loss, LSG are still placed second on the points table in their debut season with eight wins from 12 games. However, their net run rate has taken a hit after the massive loss. With two games to go for LSG, it will be interesting to see whether the KL Rahul-led side finish in the top two and play in the first qualifier or the eliminator.
