Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant didn\u2019t dress his thoughts up after his side\u2019s seven-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday. Despite another chase-friendly game ending with LSG falling short, the captain was adamant that the squad\u2019s belief remains intact, insisting they are \u201ca f***ing good team\u201d even as they slip further away from the play-off picture in IPL 2026. LSG posted a strong 220\/5 in their 20 overs on a surface that helped batters, but Rajasthan chased it down comfortably in 19.1 overs, finishing on 225\/3 with Donovan Ferreira\u2019s late strike sealing the outcome.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the match, Pant struck a confident tone about the group\u2019s mindset. He acknowledged that the results have not gone their way, but argued that one defeat cannot erase the team\u2019s internal standards or confidence. \u201cWe are proud as a team regardless of what our situation is right now. The kind of team we have, we know we can win this. Regardless of anything, we are confident enough as a team and as individuals. It hasn\u2019t gone our way, and everyone knows that, but that doesn\u2019t take away the fact that we are a f***ing good team,\u201d the LSG captain said.<\/p>\n
While addressing what might have been, Pant also gave credit to Rajasthan\u2019s execution. He felt LSG\u2019s batting could have been even more punishing after a solid start, especially on a wicket of this nature. In his view, the bowling spells in the middle overs and again in the final over were particularly effective from the Royals, but the Super Giants still left runs out there. \u201cI think there are a few ways to look at it. In the middle overs and then in the last over, the way Archer bowled, I think it was really good. But we could have actually scored five or ten runs more on this kind of wicket when you get that kind of start, and we just couldn\u2019t capitalise in the last over,\u201d Pant said.<\/p>\n
On the challenge of defending totals on batting-friendly tracks, Pant underlined how slim the margin becomes when runs are flowing. He stressed that trying to do too much in the heat of the moment can backfire, and that sticking to a clear plan ball-by-ball is often the best approach. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a difficult one for sure because you always want to back your bowlers, but sometimes it\u2019s hard. On a wicket like this, there is less margin for the bowlers, and having too many suggestions doesn\u2019t work out. Sometimes you have to keep a simple plan, keep focusing on one ball at a time, and just try to execute the plan,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Pant also pointed to the importance of experience when matches tighten in the final phases. He suggested that teams can\u2019t instantly replace the calm and know-how that seasoned players bring under pressure. \u201cExperience is something you\u2019re always going to miss, regardless of whether things go good or bad, because experience can\u2019t be earned overnight. It takes years for people to gain that experience, and definitely in pressure situations, that is one thing which keeps you ahead for sure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Finally, the captain defended a significant tactical call involving Shahbaz Ahmed\u2019s introduction into the attack. Pant explained that the decision was shaped by match-up thinking, particularly the presence of left-handed batters at the crease and the risks of exposing a left-arm option. \u201cDefinitely because of the left-handers. They had been batting for a brief period of time and exposing a left-arm spinner; we didn\u2019t want that, especially because Rathi was there in the side, so why take a chance on Shahbaz when Rathi is there in the side?\u201d Pant explained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant didn\u2019t dress his thoughts up after his side\u2019s seven-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Rishabh Pant LSG vs Rajasthan Royals: IPL 2026 Update","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rishabh Pant reacts after LSG\u2019s seven-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals, insisting they\u2019re still a \u201cgood team\u201d despite IPL 2026 playoff hopes fading.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n