Mumbai, May 4 (PTI): Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant rued missed opportunities, admitting that a few extra runs could have tilted the game in their favour after their six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League clash here on Monday.
Lucknow Super Giants failed to defend a competitive 228 for five, going down as Mumbai Indians chased it with eight balls to spare, powered by blazing half-centuries from Rohit Sharma (84) and Ryan Rickelton (83), leaving LSG’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
“The way we started, I think we should have gotten more runs. Definitely the boys played freely, but in the end, I think they (MI) bowled well because they are used to these conditions, for sure,” said Pant in the post-match presentation.
“Definitely, we were short by 10-15 runs because it was a 220-230 wicket for sure. And the way we started, we had that edge over them. But at the same time, on a wicket like this, you can’t blame bowlers all the time.” Pant said a slice of luck in the remaining matches could turn things around for LSG, expressing hope of a late revival.
“They’ve (LSG bowlers) been doing a fantastic job for us. So I definitely can’t say much to them, for sure. I think we need some good luck. That’s the only thing I’m going to say. I think a lot of blessing is going to work around it. And it’s going to take some more effort from us, for sure,” he added.
MI stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted LSG’s strong start was a concern, but his side drew confidence from similar situations in the past to tie down the opponents.
“To be very frank, we’ve been in this situation a lot of times this season. It was nothing new, to be very honest. But then I knew, T20 cricket after the powerplay from 7 to 10, that’s the best time when you can pull the game off.
“We knew two wickets here and there, and I can take control of the game. And the way all the bowlers responded, I think they showed a lot of character,” said Suryakumar.
He added that the way MI pulled things back and tied down LSG batters was amazing.
“I think the performance was unbelievable. Everyone had that belief, they had their clear plans. I didn’t tell them anything. It was just little, little backing involved in a few situations. But then at the end of the day, the way they displayed their character and the way they bowled, I think it’s commendable.” On the 200-plus chase, he pointed out that Mumbai had earlier posted 244 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and still ended up on the losing side, which reinforced the belief that even a 220-plus total can be chased.
“See, even we scored 244 a few days back and Sunrisers chased it. So we always knew, anything around 220-225-230 will be chaseable. And the way we started our batting, Ryan Rickelton, he has been batting beautifully. And as I said, at the toss, our very own Rohit Sharma coming back into the side, fit, ready, raring to go.
“And the way he displayed, the way he showed the entertainment to the crowd, I think it was unbelievable. I think it’s always important to have a good start when you’re chasing 200-225. And the way they batted together, it looked like they were always in control,” he added. PTI AM AM UNG
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