Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 2 : Following his side's loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant that the team is still assessing the conditions as it was their first game at home stadium of Ekana Stadium in Lucknow and they were 20-25 runs short.
Pant-led LSG could not make their fans happy during the start of their campaign at home as not only the captain's own flop show with the bat continued, but the power-packed line-up could only score 171/7, which was chased down by PBKS as batters Prabhsimran Singh, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera delivered superb knocks replicating the attacking intent that LSG should have had shown in their home conditions.
Following the match, Pant said during the post-match presentation, "It (the total) was not enough, we were 20-25 runs short, but that's part and parcel of the game. Still assessing the conditions at our home ground. It is always going to be difficult to get a big total when you lose early wickets, but each and every player is trying hard to take the game forward. The idea was to get a slow wicket. I think the slower balls were sticking in. We got to learn from this game and move forward. There are a lot of positives, cannot say much."
Being put to bat first, LSG was reeling at 35/3, but fighting knocks from Nicholas Pooran (44 in 30 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Ayush Badoni (41 in 33 balls, with a four and three sixes) and a fiery cameo by Abdul Samad (27 in 12 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave LSG something to fight for. Arshdeep was the top bowler with three wickets and figures of 3/43. Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell and Yuzi Chahal were also among wickets as except for a half-century stand between Pooran and Badoni for fourth wicket, nothing really got going for LSG as they struggled to form long partnerships.
During the run-chase, PBKS did lose Priyansh Arya (8) early. But power-packed knocks from Prabhsimran Singh (69 in 34 balls, with nine fours and two sixes), skipper Shreyas Iyer (52* in 30 balls, with three fours and four sixes) and Nehal Wadhera (43* in 25 balls, with three fours and four sixes) took PBKS to a eight-wicket win with 22 balls left.
Digvesh Rathi's spell of 2/30 in four overs was not enough.
PBKS are at the second spot in the points table and made it two wins in two, while LSG have slipped to sixth spot with a win and two losses.