Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant wore a wry smile after the Super Over loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Ekana Stadium on Sunday. LSG came close to scripting a comeback win after an unlikely late surge, with Mohammed Shami lifting the crowd with a last-ball six to force a decider. But a questionable tactical call in the Super Over saw KKR cruise through and escape with the win.
KKR won in the Super Over against LSG
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“We definitely need a break. We are going to refresh,” Pant said in the post-match chat after Lucknow slumped to their fifth straight defeat in IPL 2026, and sixth overall, leaving them at the bottom of the table.
“We need to take accountability — each and every guy. It has to be about the entire team,” he added.
LSG needed 17 runs in the final over with three wickets in hand, with Impact Sub Himmat Singh their main hope. Kartik Tyagi was entrusted with the final over, having previously delivered in similar situations. However, two consecutive waist-high no-balls, along with a boundary from Himmat, brought the equation down to 8 off 4.
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Tyagi briefly regained control by dismissing Himmat on the third ball, before conceding just one run off the next two deliveries, leaving 7 needed off 2 with Shami on strike. But the veteran stunned the KKR camp by smashing a full delivery over long-off for a six, forcing a Super Over.
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Tyagi briefly regained control by dismissing Himmat on the third ball, before conceding just one run off the next two deliveries, leaving 7 needed off 2 with Shami on strike. But the veteran stunned the KKR camp by smashing a full delivery over long-off for a six, forcing a Super Over.
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With a real chance to seal the game, Pant walked out to bat alongside Nicholas Pooran, who has struggled for form this season, scoring just 82 runs at a strike rate of 81, including a 9-run knock in this match.
Pooran was dismissed off the first ball by Sunil Narine, who struck again the very next delivery, leaving KKR with just 2 runs to win. Rinku Singh finished the job off the first ball.
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Explaining the call to back Pooran, Pant said: “We had a discussion as a group, and the name that came up was Nicholas Pooran. He might not be in the best form, but you trust your players in tough situations. No excuses there. Right now, there may not be many positives, but after the break, there will be enough.”
Pant also addressed the decision to hand Digvesh Rathi a crucial over earlier, where Rinku Singh hit four sixes, a phase that proved decisive.
“There are times in cricket where you can tweak things, but sometimes bowlers have to take on tough overs. I was looking for a wicket in the middle phase but didn’t get one. That was the thought process. Too many minds don’t make it easy on the field,” he said.
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LSG will next face the Mumbai Indians on May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/LSG ‘need a break’: Rishabh Pant pulls no punches, dissects tactical calls after Super Over loss to KKR
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