Rishabh Pant had spoken about the need for a “break” after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered their fifth straight defeat, going down to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). When they returned to action a week later against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday, the early signs looked promising—at least for a short, fiery spell—before familiar issues resurfaced and the chase-based momentum slipped away.
Powerplay fireworks and the shift after Pooran
Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis provided the early acceleration for LSG, setting a brisk tempo with the bat. Inglis fell at a key moment, but Nicholas Pooran—promoted to bat at No. 3 for the first time this season—responded with a rapid burst that changed the complexion of the innings.
- Pooran’s knock was a 21-ball 63, featuring eight sixes.
- LSG reached 90 for 1 in the powerplay, giving the impression they could push towards a 250-plus total.
LSG lose control: Bosch strikes and Pant’s brief cameo ends
After that early surge, LSG’s momentum did not last. Corbin Bosch struck twice in the ninth over, removing established batters Marsh and Pooran and cutting down the flow of runs.
Pant then had a moment that looked like it could revive the innings. On the first delivery, he survived after reviews showed his edge had fallen short of Ryan Rickelton’s stumps. However, that respite was brief. He produced a towering six and then followed it with an audacious falling scoop, but he ultimately departed for 15 off 10 balls—another short stay in a season where he has struggled to consistently reach the impact scores expected of him.
What the numbers say about Pant—and why the team still fell short
Pant’s struggles are not isolated to this match. His overall season output paints a picture of inconsistency, with 204 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 128.30. Even his best score so far—an unbeaten 68 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)—came in fits and starts for much of the innings.
There have been flashes. In a chase against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Pant struck four sixes, including two one-handed hits, but the innings stalled at a critical stage before he was dismissed for 43 off 23. Against KKR in a comparatively smaller chase, he made 42 off 38 without truly speeding up. LSG slipped from 78 for 3 to 148 for 8 and ultimately lost in the Super Over.
- Last season: Pant finished with 269 runs in 14 games, with 118 of those coming in a dead rubber.
- Since the start of 2024: he averages 24.89 at a strike rate of 131.02 across 22 innings.
- This season: Pant has batted in three spots—opener, No. 3, and now No. 4.
- Pooran: after thriving at No. 3 last year, he has been restored to that role only now, finally after nine games, as LSG sit at the bottom of the table.
Langer backs Pant, but LSG’s batting unit keeps leaking runs
Despite the scrutiny surrounding Pant’s returns as both a batter and captain, LSG head coach Justin Langer played down immediate concerns. He pointed to Pant’s timing and rhythm during practice leading into the fixture.
“It’s funny, we played a practice game here two days ago, and Rishy, I think, got maybe 95 off 40 balls or 30 balls or something, and you’re just looking at that game and going, ‘oh my god, that’s Rishabh Pant at his very best’,” Langer said.
Langer added that the decision to use Pant in that batting slot was influenced by how he looked after LSG’s seven-day break.
“He selflessly moved down the order to move, to let Nicky P back. So, Rishy’s not far off [from a big score]. He’s great. As a captain in the IPL, as a coach, you keep fronting up, don’t you?” the coach said. “That’s all you can do. And you’ll keep fronting up, and hopefully, he’ll help us get some wins over the next few games.”
Langer also addressed questions around the pressure that comes with leadership and the expectations attached to Pant’s role and price tag.
“I don’t think money has to do anything with it,” he said. “Leadership is a tough position, and you’re carrying lots of pressure, and he knows that he’s carrying a lot of pressure for the team, and he does it, like all of us, with a smile on our face, 98% of the time. It’s the 2% that’s hard, to be honest. But he’s chipping away, he’s working hard, and he’s had a match-winning game earlier in the season. I love it when we see him smiling and playing that swashbuckling style of play.”
However, LSG’s problems are not solely tied to Pant. Their batters have underperformed collectively, with none of them among the top 20 run-scorers this season. Their team strike rate of 132.86 is also the lowest among all sides. Even in this game—after racing to a commanding position—they lost their way after Pant’s dismissal.
Aiden Markram, along with Akshat Raghuwanshi and Himmat Singh, struggled to sustain the tempo once MI tightened their bowling. The scoring rate dropped from 14.10 after the ten-over mark to 11.40 after 20 overs, and only 87 runs came in the last ten overs.
Late overs swing the result: Bumrah’s over-by-over pressure and MI’s finish
There were openings for LSG to reset and regain control. In the 14th over, Jasprit Bumrah induced an edge off Markram, only for the chance to be nullified by a no-ball. Bumrah also followed up with a wide and another overstep, which appeared to disrupt his rhythm. Even so, Markram survived a mistimed hit, while Himmat managed a single at the close of the over. Despite the chaos, Bumrah conceded just seven runs in a nine-ball spell.
Crucially, LSG could not take advantage of MI’s errors and missed chances. Pant later told broadcasters that LSG were short by 10 to 15 runs.
“Definitely the way we started, we should have definitely got more runs but [there were] some good signs and the boys played well, but they [MI] bowled well because they are used to these conditions,” Pant said. “We were short by 10-15 runs— it was a 220-230 wicket for sure [they scored 228]. The way we started we had an edge over them. On a wicket like this, you can’t blame bowlers, they’ve been doing a fantastic job for us.”
Markram and Himmat attempted to lift the innings with a few sixes, but MI’s discipline quickly smothered the push. Bumrah and Deepak Chahar delivered a controlled late spell, consistently landing yorkers and preventing any clean release at the death. From a situation where LSG looked set for 250-plus, they ended on 228. MI then chased it down with eight balls remaining.
- LSG’s final total: 228.
- MI’s chase: completed with eight balls to spare.
- Reportedly, Pant felt the wicket would have required 220–230 to be competitive.
LSG coach’s view: wickets in the middle and standout death bowling
Langer believed LSG’s mindset was right, but wickets in the middle overs pulled them back.
“We went in with a real mindset to up our intent, and we did that really well today,” Langer said. “We just lost a couple of wickets in the middle, which just dragged us. I thought Bumrah and Chahar’s last two overs [13 runs conceded] were outstanding overs. We sometimes give credit to the opposition. Chahar’s last over was absolutely magnificent.”
Beyond Pooran’s brilliance in this match, LSG have struggled to find consistent standout contributions this season. The only notable exception highlighted was Mukul Choudhary’s 54* off 27 in a chase against KKR, which was one of their two wins. In this game, Mukul did not play and was not included in LSG’s impact players list.
For a side that had hoped the break would reset their campaign, this was instead another reminder of recurring issues. There were moments of quality, but LSG’s collective execution—and steady returns from their top-order batters, including Pant—has remained difficult to sustain. With each outing, they look closer to a point of no return.
