19 May,2026 11:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rishabh Pant (Pic: File Pic)
In the IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by .... wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Lucknow.
After suffering a defeat, LSG's captain Rishabh Pant said, "(On the score of 220 at the halfway stage) I think there are a few ways to look at it. In the middle overs and then in the last over, the way Archer bowled, I think it was really good. But we could have actually scored five or ten runs more on this kind of wicket when you get that kind of start, and we just couldn't capitalize in the last over. (on defending a score on such a batting-friendly surface) It's definitely a difficult one for sure because you always want to back your bowlers, but sometimes it's hard. On a wicket like this, there is less margin for the bowlers and having too many suggestions doesn't work out. Sometimes you have to keep a simple plan, keep focusing one ball at a time and just try to execute the plan".
"(On the value of experience and missing Shami) Experience is something you're always going to miss regardless of whether things go good or bad because experience can't be earned overnight. It takes years for people to gain that experience and definitely in pressure situations, that is one thing which keeps you ahead for sure. (on holding back Shahbaz Ahmed until the final over) Definitely because of the left-handers. They had been batting for a brief period of time and exposing a left-arm spinner, we didn't want that, especially because Rathi was there in the side, so why take a chance on Shahbaz when Rathi is there in the side. (on the team despite the results) Like I said, we are proud as a team regardless of what our situation is right now. The kind of team we have, we know we can win this. Regardless of anything, we are confident enough as a team and as individuals. It hasn't gone our way and everyone knows that, but that doesn't take away the fact that we are a good team".
With an aim of chasing the target of 221 runs, RR scored 225 runs for the loss of three wickets in 19.1 overs.
Stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal accumulated 43 runs in 23 balls, including eight boundaries and a maximum. Impact Player, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, played a glorious knock of 93 runs off just 38 balls, including seven boundaries and 10 maximums.
Lhuan-dre Pretorious scored seven runs in six balls. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira stayed unbeaten. Facing 38 balls, Jurel smashed 53 runs, including three boundaries and the same number of maximums, whereas Ferreira scored 16 runs in 10 deliveries, with the help of a boundary and a maximum.
Lucknow's Akash Singh and Mohsin Khan managed to pick up one wicket each. Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Impact Player, Digvesh Rathi, and Shahbaz Ahmed went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match against RR.
Earlier, having been put to bat first, LSG's opening batsman Josh Inglis departed after scoring 60 runs in just 29 balls, including seven boundaries and three maximums.
Swashbuckling batsman Nicholas Pooran was dismissed for 16 runs. His knock came in 11 balls, which included two maximums.
Later, star opening batsman Mitchell Marsh played a glorious knock of 96 runs off 57 deliveries, laced with 11 boundaries and five maximums. Captain Rishabh Pant scored 35 runs in 23 balls, including two boundaries and the same number of maximums. Ayush Badoni was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Abdul Samad stayed unbeaten without facing any balls. With this, the Super Giants posted a total of 220 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs against the Royals.
Rajasthan's Yash Punja returned with the figures of two wickets for 35 runs in four overs. Jofra Archer also chipped in with one wicket. Sushant Mishra, Sandeep Sharma, Brijesh Sharma, and Dasun Shanaka went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match against LSG.
