Injuries Derail Lucknow Super Giants' IPL Dreams

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant expressed disappointment as injuries thwarted their Indian Premier League campaign, culminating in a six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, thereby eliminating them from playoff contention. Lucknow scored 205 but failed to defend the total in 18.2 overs, now playing for pride in their last matches against Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Injuries to key players like Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav hindered Lucknow's momentum, compounded by Pant's subpar batting form, tallying only 135 runs across 12 games. Faced with criticism, he stated, "It definitely could have been one of our best seasons," in an interview with the official broadcaster.

Pant acknowledged the difficulties in addressing injury-induced gaps, with seamers Avesh Khan and Akash Deep also battling fitness issues. While the team's auction strategy aimed for a robust bowling lineup, Pant admitted, "Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't," emphasizing the positives over the negatives of the season.

(With inputs from agencies.)