NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant didn\u2019t try to soften his reaction after Lucknow Super Giants slumped to a ninth defeat of the season, yet the LSG captain stressed that a single result\u2014and even an underwhelming campaign\u2014would not alter his belief in the group. After LSG were beaten by Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Jaipur on Tuesday, Pant let out a rare, emphatic outburst in the dressing room, arguing that the side\u2019s ability still stands even though they are now out of the playoff chase.<\/p>\n
\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,\u201d Pant said after the match.<\/p>\n
He continued, making the point even sharper: \u201cIt 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<\/p>\n
Lucknow appeared to be in command after posting 220\/5 on the generally good batting strip at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. However, the score did not hold up as Rajasthan Royals chased it down in 19.1 overs. Teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the standout, striking a rapid 93 off 38 balls and leaving Pant\u2019s bowling unit searching for answers throughout the chase.<\/p>\n
Despite the imposing total, Pant admitted that the batting effort did not fully deliver when it mattered. \u201cI think there are a few ways to look at it. In the middle overs and then in the last over, the way Jofra 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 he said.<\/p>\n
Turning to the broader challenge of defending runs on batting-friendly pitches, Pant suggested bowlers often have to be near-perfect in those conditions. \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. Sometimes you have to keep a simple plan, keep focusing one ball at a time and just try to execute,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Pant also underlined the role of experience when matches swing late, implying that LSG lacked that edge at crucial moments this season. \u201cExperience is something you\u2019re always going to miss. It 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In addition, Pant defended LSG\u2019s decision to delay the introduction of Shahbaz Ahmed until the later stages of the chase. He said the call was deliberate, shaped by the match-up and tactical considerations against Rajasthan Royals\u2019 left-handed batters.<\/p>\n
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NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant didn\u2019t try to soften his reaction after Lucknow Super Giants slumped to a ninth defeat of the season, yet the LSG…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Rishabh Pant Reaction After LSG Loss to RR in IPL","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rishabh Pant\u2019s fiery outburst after LSG\u2019s loss to RR in Jaipur sparks debate\u2014captain insists the team\u2019s belief remains strong despite playoff exit.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n