Despite a crushing 37-run defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 4 in Dharamsala, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant remains hopeful about his team’s playoff chances in IPL 2025.
PBKS Set a Mammoth Total
After being asked to bat first, PBKS piled on a towering 236/5, thanks to a blazing 91 off 48 from Prabhsimran Singh, alongside vital contributions from Shreyas Iyer (45 off 25), Shashank Singh (33 off 15)* and Josh Inglis (30 off 14).
LSG’s Early Collapse
LSG’s chase stumbled early, losing their top three batters for just 27 runs. Pant himself managed 18 off 17 balls before Ayush Badoni waged a lone battle, smashing a valiant 74 off 40 balls, though it wasn’t enough to bridge the massive gap.
Rishabh Pant Reflects
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Pant said:
“Definitely too many runs [in the first innings]. When you drop crucial catches at the wrong time, it can hurt you badly. But that is part and parcel of the game.”
Despite the defeat, Pant was hopeful about the future:
“The dream is still alive. If we can win the next three matches, we can definitely turn around and do amazing things.”
On the team’s batting order and planning, he added:
“It makes sense when your top order is batting well. But you can’t expect it every match. We had too many runs to catch up on, and that hurt us badly.”
Arshdeep Singh Stars With the Ball
PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh delivered a match-winning spell, returning with figures of 3/16 in four overs, removing LSG’s top three in no time.
He later shared:
“For a change, there was some movement at the start, so I really enjoyed it.”
On key moments, like Wadhera’s catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh, Arshdeep said:
“I was just watching him run and praying for it to be caught. Mitch is a dangerous player if he gets going.”
He also emphasized the importance of early breakthroughs:
“Their top three has been scoring runs, so we wanted early wickets. We’re taking it one day at a time and enjoying ourselves.”
What’s Next?
With three matches to go, LSG still has a mathematical chance to qualify for the playoffs. As Rishabh Pant puts it — “The dream is still alive.” But they’ll need to win all their remaining games and hope other results go their way.
