Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a crushing 37-run defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 54 of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday.
After dealing a severe blow to their playoff aspirations, LSG’s captain, Rishabh Pant, pinpointed dropped catches as the decisive factor in the loss, which left his team languishing in seventh place on the points table with 10 points from 11 matches.
Chasing a daunting 237-run target set by PBKS, LSG managed only 199 runs for the loss of seven wickets, despite valiant efforts from Ayush Badoni (74 runs off 40 balls) and Abdul Samad (45 runs off 24 balls).
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Punjab Kings’ formidable total was powered by explosive batting, led by Prabhsimran Singh (91 runs off 48 balls), with LSG’s fielding lapses proving costly. Rishabh Pant, reflecting on the loss, expressed frustration over the team’s fielding errors.
"Definitely too many runs. When you drop crucial catches at the wrong time, it can hurt you badly. We thought it would do more, but we did not pick the length right at the start. But that is part and parcel of the game," Pant said as quoted in the post-match presentation.
The dropped catches allowed PBKS to pile on runs, a point Pant emphasized as a turning point. LSG’s bowling struggled early, failing to adapt to the pitch, which Pant had expected to offer more assistance.
Despite the setback, the skipper remained optimistic about LSG’s playoff chances with their three league matches remaining.
"We thought it was going to do more. We didn't pick the length right at the start. That's part and parcel of the game. The dream is still alive. If we gonna win the next three matches, we definitely can turn it around," he added.
LSG’s batting collapse in the chase highlighted their over-reliance on the top order. The Super Giants were reduced to 73 runs for 5 wickets in the 10th over.
Pant acknowledged the inconsistency, noting that the team cannot always expect the top-order batters to fire.
"It makes sense when your top order is batting well. Every match, you cannot hope for them to come off. It is part of the game, we have to take it deep sometimes. We had too many runs to catch up on and that hurt us badly," Pant concluded.
Also read: IPL 2025 - Harsh Dubey Joins SRH, Replaces Injured Smaran Ravichandran
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How Can Lucknow Super Giants Qualify for IPL 2025 Playoffs?
Lucknow Super Giants are currently at 10 points after 11 games. They must secure 16 points to make it to the playoffs on their own. For that to happen, LSG needs to win all three of their remaining matches.
If LSG manages to win two out of three games, they will get 14 points, which might be enough to take them to the playoffs. However, in this case, they would have to depend upon other teams.
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