<p> 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.</p><p> 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.</p><p> "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.</p><p> "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.</p><p> "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.</p><p> 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.</p><p> "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.</p><p> "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.</p><p>He added that the way MI pulled things back and tied down LSG batters was amazing.</p><p> "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.</p><p> "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.</p><p> "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</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>
from Can MI Beat LSG? IPL Record Paints Grim Picture For Hardik Pandya’s Side https://ift.tt/KYXbsN4
from Can MI Beat LSG? IPL Record Paints Grim Picture For Hardik Pandya’s Side https://ift.tt/KYXbsN4