LSG vs PBKS: Rishabh Pant, Zaheer Khan Question Lucknow Pitch, Say ‘Felt Like Punjab Curator Made It’

Another IPL home team has voiced frustration over pitch conditions. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a heavy eight-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS), with 22 balls to spare in their first home game of the season.

Zaheer Khan Questions Pitch Favoring Opposition

LSG mentor Zaheer Khan didn’t hold back his disappointment, suggesting the pitch seemed to favor the opposition.

“What was a little disappointing for me here…” Zaheer said at the post-match press conference, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“Considering it’s a home game and in IPL you’ve seen how teams have looked at taking a little bit of home advantage, from that point of view you’ve seen the curator is not really thinking that it’s a home game. I think maybe it looked like, you know, it was Punjab curator out here,” he added.

Adjustments Needed for Home Advantage

Zaheer emphasized the importance of home support and how the team needs to adjust moving forward.

“So that’s something which we will figure. It’s a new set-up for me, but I hope that this is the first and the last game when it comes to that. Because you are disappointing the Lucknow fans as well. They’ve come up with so many expectations of winning the first home game here,” he noted.

Despite the setback, he expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back.

“As a team, we are confident. We accept that we’ve lost the game, and we have got to do whatever it takes to make that impact in the home leg. We still have six more games to go here, and this team has shown in the season so far, whatever little cricket is played, that we have the right outlook and the mindset to look at the IPL. What you can expect is innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, the fight, the hunger, and that sums us up as a team,” he said.

LSG had limited fast-bowling options due to injuries and may have preferred a pitch favoring spin. However, they fielded only two frontline pacers, including a last-minute inclusion, Shardul Thakur. Meanwhile, PBKS fully utilized the conditions, with their pace attack of Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, and Marco Jansen combining for figures of 5/112 in 13 overs.

Zaheer admitted they misread the pitch but maintained they were not making excuses.

“That’s what we are saying. We will go according to what the curator tells us. We are not using this as an excuse. We have seen during the last season that it’s not like batters don’t have to struggle here at times. All these things go on in cricket. But the way the home team should get support, everyone needs to know this is our home team that is playing in Lucknow and what can we do to help them win? Everyone’s contribution is important. We will find a way to win matches…”

Rishabh Pant on Pitch Expectations

LSG captain Rishabh Pant also admitted they anticipated a slower track, which influenced their decision to replace seamer Prince Yadav with spinner M Siddharth.

“The idea was to get a slower wicket. We felt it was a home game; it was going to stop a little bit. I think the slower ones, when bowled into the wicket, were still sticking in, but we weren’t good enough on the day. We have to learn and move forward. It is our first home game. Still assessing the conditions,” Pant said.

LSG joins Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in raising concerns about home pitch conditions. KKR previously stated they wanted more spin-friendly tracks but had little control over the preparations. Meanwhile, CSK, despite having the best home record in IPL history, have struggled to predict their own conditions in recent seasons.

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