Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered their second defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 following their eight-wicket loss against the high-flying Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their home turf, Ekana cricket stadium on April 1, Tuesday. After the match LSG captain Rishabh Pant admitted LSG's batting failure and said that the 171-run total wasn't enough for them to defend.
Rishabh Pant rues LSG's 8-wicket defeat against PBKS
While chasing a 172-run target, PBKS maintained control throughout their innings, with Prabhsimran Singh leading the charge with a blistering knock of 69 runs off just 34 deliveries which was decorated with nine fours and three sixes. He was ably supported by his captain Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls. Nehal Wadhera too contributed with unbeaten 43 off 25.
On the other hand, none of the LSG batters could cross the 50-run mark which saw them posting a 171-run total for the loss of seven wickets in their stipulated 20 overs. Nicholas Pooran (44) and Ayush Badoni (41) played useful innings to help their team reach a competitive score. For Punjab Kings, Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler, claiming three crucial wickets.
But LSG captain Pant, who himself scored just 2 off 5, wasn't satisfied with his team's overall batting and admitted that they were 20-25 runs short. He said it's always difficult to get a big total when a team loses early wickets which was the case for LSG team. They lost Mitchell Marsh in the very first over for a duck. Aiden Markram (28) did get a good start but couldn't convert it into a big score. David Miller (19) and Abdul Samad (27) tried to steady their boat in the end but they too succumb to PBKS tight bowling.
"It (the total) wasn't 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's 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, can't say much," Pant said in the post-match presentation.
The defeat marked Pant's LSG's second loss in the IPL 2025. They started with a defeat against Delhi Capitals in their campaign opener. LSG staged a remarkable comeback in their following clash where they gunned down Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, a loss against PBKS again pegged them back.
PBKS will now take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 5 while LSG will face Mumbai Indians on April 4.