Ashok Namboodiri
For one evening at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants looked like a team rediscovering itself. Mitchell Marsh produced one of the innings of the IPL season, Prince Yadav bowled a delivery to Virat Kohli that young fast bowlers dream about, and the old warhorse Mohammed Shami once again showed why experience in T20 cricket still matters. And yet, even in victory, the questions refused to disappear.
Because this was not a side that closed out a game with authority. This was a side that huffed and puffed its way through a match it should have buried much earlier. Consider the context- LSG posted 209 in a rain-curtailed 19-over game. Marsh’s 111 off 56 was not merely power hitting; it was domination layered with timing, control and intent. Pant himself chipped in with a stunning unbeaten 32 off 10 at the death. At one stage, LSG had all the ingredients of a statement victory against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Then came the second innings and with it, the familiar anxiety. Even after reducing RCB early and dismissing Kohli for a duck with that sensational Prince Yadav delivery, LSG somehow allowed the contest to drift. Rajat Patidar counterattacked and Tim David threatened to steal the game. Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd dragged the equation into uncomfortable territory. Twenty required in the final over should have been a formality after scoring 209 in 19 overs and removing Kohli early. Instead, it became another reminder that LSG are a team perpetually unsure of themselves.
That uncertainty is the real story of their IPL 2026 campaign. On paper, this is not a weak side. Marsh has been among the most destructive batters in the tournament. Nicholas Pooran remains one of the most feared middle-order hitters in world cricket. Shami, even in the twilight phase of his career, continues to operate with intelligence and control. Prince is emerging as one of the breakout stories of the season. Digvesh Rathi has shown composure under pressure. And yet, the collective never feels fully convincing.
The problem with LSG is not talent; it is about belief. There is a visible fragility in how they manage moments. The moment pressure shifts even slightly, the side appears to retreat into caution. Great T20 teams squeeze games emotionally. LSG instead seem to absorb tension from the contest around them. It reflects in their fielding, in over management, in batting tempo, and most significantly, in leadership energy. Which brings the conversation inevitably back to Rishabh Pant.
Pant’s season has become symbolic of LSG itself: flashes of brilliance surrounded by long periods of uncertainty. Last night’s cameo was vintage Pant chaos in the best sense. The audacity, the angles, the fearlessness. But the larger question remains: why are these moments only appearing in fragments? Why does a player of Pant’s stature look like someone searching for rhythm rather than dictating terms to the tournament?
Captaincy too remains a talking point. Pant often looks emotionally invested in every ball, every appeal, every momentum swing. Passion is valuable, but T20 captaincy increasingly demands emotional distance and clarity. The best captains today manage games like chessboards, staying two overs ahead. LSG often appear trapped in the immediacy of the moment.
There is also the broader issue of identity. What exactly are LSG trying to be? An ultra-aggressive batting side? A bowling-heavy side built around control? A data-driven matchup team? The successful IPL franchises possess instantly recognisable cricketing personalities. Chennai Super Kings know exactly who they are. Gujarat Titans have built a culture around clarity under pressure. LSG still seem caught between versions of themselves.
That is why even a win like this feels strangely hollow. Yes, mathematically they remain alive in the playoff race. But deep down, this still does not look like a side convinced of its own ability to go the distance.And perhaps that is the biggest irony of all. LSG are not lacking match-winners. They are lacking conviction that those match-winners together can build something bigger than isolated moments.
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