Knowing pant

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari: Skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that his team was "20 to 30 runs short" as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) succumbed to a crushing eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday. LSG struggled to keep up with a rampant Punjab outfit that dictated terms in both bowling and batting.

Pant’s early dismissal in the power-play summed up LSG’s woes, as PBKS' tactical brilliance and clinical execution left the home side reeling. Asked to bat first, LSG’s innings never quite found its footing after an early jolt.

LSG’s hopes rested on the experienced shoulders of Pant and Nicholas Pooran, but Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer had other plans. Knowing Pant’s struggle against Glenn Maxwell in the past, Iyer introduced the Australian all-rounder into the attack early, and the move paid off instantly. Maxwell forced Pant into an ill-judged shot, dismissing him cheaply and leaving LSG in further trouble.