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After Lucknow Super Giants’ loss against Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant opens up on why he decided to come out at number 7 in the LSG batting order.
Rishabh Pant was off the mark as captain and as a batter. (Image: Sportzpics)
Lucknow Super Giants had opted to make a rather bizarre move against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday when the captain, Rishabh Pant, opted to come in at number seven in the batting order during the first innings.
This resulted in Pant playing just two balls from the final over, where he was unable to score a single run as Lucknow were restricted to a below-par score of 159/6, as Delhi Capitals were able to easily chase it down thanks to fifties by KL Rahul and Abishek Porel.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Pant opened up on this move to demote himself. He explained that he wanted the other batters to capitalise on the conditions, which they were unable to do.
“Idea was to like capitalise. We sent Samad to capitalise on a wicket like that. After that, Miller came in and we just got stuck in the wicket. Eventually, these are the things we have to figure out and try to find our best combination going forward,” he commented.
The LSG batting unit was unable to get going thanks to Mukesh Kumar, who ran riot as he picked up his best figures in the IPL with 4/33, getting rid of the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni and Pant himself.
Speaking regarding some of the reasons behind their loss, Pant suggested that the toss had a huge role and they were unable to capitalise on their moments throughout the game.
“In Lucknow, toss played a big part. Whoever is bowling first they get a lot of help from the wicket. We just had to stay back, we just couldn’t get it away. It always happens in Lucknow, in the second innings, the wicket gets better and batter to bat on, that’s how the game goes, and you can’t be complaining. Yes, toss is playing a huge part here, but as a team, we are not looking for excuses,” he mentioned.
Now, Lucknow Super Giants sit fifth in the points table, having won five games and lost four so far in their campaign. They will gear up and regroup for their next game which will be against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 27 (Sunday)
