Lucknow Super Giants would have hoped for a better start to their IPL campaign in front of the home fans, but things didn’t go as planned against the ruthless Delhi Capitals. A batting collapse saw them post a modest 141, inviting early criticism over some questionable decisions.
Despite a strong comeback with the ball and picking up four quick wickets, LSG could not change the momentum. An unbeaten 119-run stand between Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs turned the game around for DC. As the momentum slipped away, it also exposed deeper concerns around LSG’s overall team balance.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was quick to analyse and point out his concerns about the lack of balance in LSG’s starting XI.
“When they got the first four wickets, they would have thought they had the game in their hands. If they kept taking wickets, they might have won it despite such a small target. The only thing they need to worry about is not their bowling or fielding, but their batting. Their batting still goes only up to seven,” Pathan said on JioStar.
His observation brought the focus straight to LSG’s batting depth or the lack of it.
In T20 cricket, momentum can shift quickly, and batting depth can often make the difference, as proven by India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, which featured defined roles across the lineup. LSG calls, especially in batting, did feel a bit off on the day. Rishabh Pant was promoted to open despite Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram’s past successes of 115 and 99, but the move didn’t work, and the middle order failed to recover after early setbacks.
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“Sacrificed a proper bowler in Digvesh Rathi”
Pathan also question the misuse of Impact Player, he concluded “Even in the playing XI, when they announced the squad, Shahbaz Ahmed wasn’t there, and he isn’t even a pure batter, he’s an all-rounder. Yes, he has scored nearly 400 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, so he is in form. But you brought him in as an impact player and sacrificed a proper bowler in Digvesh Rathi. I think they need to sort out their balance. You need at least eight batters, especially on days when you collapse like that. You need to add one more batter there.”
The batting collapse raised a few concerns, particularly about Ahmed being used as an impact player rather than as a starter in place of Rathi. He failed to repay the trust and build a solid innings, scoring just 15 off 16 balls. This move eventually backfired on LSG as they saw themselves fighting for a comeback without their proven key spinner, Rathi, who took 14 wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2025.
The message is clear for LSG: such reactive decisions will continue to hurt the campaign if not planned properly for the match situations.
