Just two wins in eight matches see the Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants hit the bottom of the 10-team Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 points table. LSG’s latest defeat came on Sunday against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in what turned out to be a low-scoring affair. It was Kolkata’s Rinku Singh whose emphatic 83-run knock off 51 balls helped the team post 155/7 on the board. Despite possessing a formidable batting order, Lucknow lost the game in a Super Over. Speaking after the morale-wrenching defeat, LSG captain Pant admitted that his team “needs a break”.
It was the same old story for the Super Giants, with the batting unit failing to fire in tandem again. The match saw LSG shuffling their opening combination once more, reinstating Aiden Markram as opener with Mitchell Marsh, while Ayush Badoni was sent to the No. 5 spot. The shuffle didn’t help the team’s cause, and Pant had no hesitation in admitting to the “pressure” that is piling on him and the team.
“See, I think we definitely need a break. I think we’re gonna refresh; there is always pressure, and it’s gonna be a pressure game always, but at the same time, we have to look for answers inside, not outside. And just keep it simple, man. Just take accountability, each and every guy. Like, it can’t be about one or two guys. It has to be about the whole unit, and a lot of people will take accountability for that for sure,” Pant said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
On Nicholas Pooran In Super Over
The match entered a Super Over as Mohammed Shami slammed a last-ball six for LSG, giving the team an unexpected lifeline to fetch two points. However, skipper Pant made an unexpected call by sending the out-of-form Nicholas Pooran to face Sunil Narine in the Super Over. The result was LSG scoring only one run before Narine picked up two wickets to end the over.
“We had a discussion as a group, and the name that came up was Nicky P. He might not be going through the best form of his life, but at the same time, you’ve gotta trust your player in a hard situation like this. They’re gonna come off nicely. So, no excuses there. Just looking at the positives, there might not be enough positives right now, but I think after the break, there will be enough for sure.”
On Digvesh Rathi Bowling Last Over
There was another questionable decision in Pant’s captaincy: choosing to bowl spinner Digvesh Rathi for the final over of KKR’s innings. With Rinku Singh still in the middle, Rathi went on to concede four consecutive sixes in the over, as the Knight Riders surpassed the respectable 150-run mark.
When asked about the decision to give Rathi the 20th over, Pant said, “Sometimes bowlers have to bowl the hard overs.”
“See, there are always times in cricket where you can turn a little bit of bowling at the same time. But sometimes bowlers have to bowl those hard overs. And there will be times when I have to give him those in the middle overs because I was looking for a wicket. I just didn’t get one. That was the thought process behind it. Too many minds don’t make it easy on the ground,” he said.
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