Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant said his team didn’t score enough runs during their first game of IPL 2026. Batting struggled because key moments lacked strong stands between players. The match was played at home versus Delhi Capitals on April 1 in Lucknow.
Out went LSG at 141 runs, finished off in just 18.4 overs. Chasing began shaky for DC – still they reached the mark with room to spare: 17 deliveries left, six wickets untouched.
During the post-match presentation, Pant reflected on their performance and said, “Best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it as you can’t control it. The way we batted, we couldn’t get a partnership for long. The plan was for Pooran to take on the middle overs from No. 5. We had to get someone who could add a few runs as the impact player because we didn’t have enough, on a good pitch. We had a role defined for Badoni, when we lose early wickets, that’s the time he can make a mark.”
Wickets tumbling often made it tough for LSG to build any rhythm while batting. Scoring 35, Mitchell Marsh stepped up when things looked shaky. A quick 36 from Abdul Samad helped lift the innings slightly. Coming in early, Pant failed to make an impact – out cheaply for seven. The scoreboard eventually showed only a below-par finish.
Pant also explained their team’s strategy and said, “We wanted to explore left-right at the top so as to stop them from bowling with the left-arm spinner. There was enough help with the new ball. But you can’t put pressure on the opposition with 140. 20 extras hurt. At the same time, you try too much on a wicket like this and are trying to restrict them under 140.”
Pant shuffled through batting slots in IPL 2025; when asked about possibly starting the chase for LSG now, he replied, “Half chance, yet I’ll likely step up front.”
Hyderabad hosts the clash between LSG and Sunrisers on April 5. That game comes up next.
