The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are slipping further down the table and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Even though the side managed to get a match in after a week’s gap, the outcome has not improved their fortunes. Led by Rishabh Pant, Lucknow continue to sit at the bottom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 standings. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, made the chase look straightforward, with Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton striking 84 and 83 runs respectively as the home team reached the target of 229 with six wickets to spare and 10 balls remaining.
After the loss, Pant was left to face the questions that naturally follow another disappointing result, and he found it difficult to pin down the exact reasons behind LSG’s defeat to Mumbai. The result leaves Lucknow virtually out of the playoff conversation. Even if they manage to win each of their remaining five matches, their points haul would only climb to a maximum of 14.
Pant did not turn the blame toward his bowlers. Instead, he suggested they have been doing their job well in recent games, and felt it would be unfair to single them out after just one match.
“We were 10-15 runs short. It was a 220-230 wicket for sure. The way we started, we had an edge over them. But at the same time, on a wicket like this, you cannot blame the bowlers all the time. They have done a fantastic job for us, so I can’t say much to them for sure,” Pant said.
Lucknow posted 228 on the board, and for stretches of the innings they looked capable of going beyond 250. However, the momentum swung back toward Mumbai in the same over when the wickets of Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh fell in quick succession, pulling the contest back into Mumbai’s favor. Pant, once again, failed to deliver a meaningful contribution, finishing with only 15 runs across 10 matches and bringing his season tally to 204 runs in nine IPL 2026 appearances.
“The way we started. We should have got some more runs. You know, definitely some good signs. The boys played freely, but they bowled well. They are used to these conditions for sure,” Pant added.
‘Need some good luck’
Asked after the defeat what LSG need to change in order to get back on track, Pant stressed that Lucknow require more than just effort—he pointed to the importance of a bit of fortune as well. His comments came when Simon Doull questioned what it would take for Lucknow to start producing better results.
“We need some good luck, man. That’s all I can say,” Pant said.
He also acknowledged that the team will still have to put in additional work: “It is going to take some more effort from us for sure,” he added.
With this loss, LSG remain stuck at the foot of the points table. Their next assignment is against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Ekana, scheduled for Thursday, May 7.
