LSG continues to lose ground in IPL 2026 as they lost their 4th game in 6 matches and three matches in a row they have lost now. All three matches have been one-sided, where they were beaten fair and square. Last night, they faced the only unbeaten side in the competition in PBKS. They did one thing right last night, which was to win the toss and decide to bowl first as PBKS had to bat first for the first time this season. LSG hoped to put early pressure on them.
The visitors got their early wicket, but what followed was disheartening for the Lucknow bowlers. It was the Priyansh Arya show alongside Cooper Connolly that decimated LSG. LSG were left with what to do under these circumstances. Plus, there were other areas as well, and we will try to list them out for you.
Inability to stop Priyansh Arya-Cooper Connolly’s partnership put LSG on the back foot
PBKS were asked to bat first, where LSG got the early breakthrough as Shami got rid of Prabhsimran Singh for a golden duck with the score at 3. LSG might have expected further inroads after this moment, but that was not to be. The LSG bowlers had no idea what was about to hit them. Once it hit, LSG were toothless to say the least. Arya was the aggressor of the two in the partnership in the power play overs; Connolly was happy to rotate the strike and got himself in.
But post the power play, the attack was from both sides, as all the bowlers that bowled went the distance. Apart from Prince Yadav, who bowled really well for his 2/25 in 4 overs, the rest of the bowlers were in for a leather hunt. Shami was good with the new ball, but he went for runs. Mohsin Khan went for a few as well. Avesh Khan, as is always the case, was taken to the cleaners. Manimaran Siddharth picked up two wickets but went for a few runs. Adding the icing on the cake was Aiden Markram as he went for 32 runs in his only over he bowled.
The bowling was the stronger suit for LSG, coming into this clash, and they were literally taken to the cleaners. Not one, practically the whole bowling line-up had an off-day, which is not a great story. This will need further addressing as LSG will return to their home to play their next round of games. They need to sort their mess out quickly before it’s too late, as they are also in a territory where even a slip-up could be really detrimental.
Unable to go big and quickly dents LSG’s progress in the chase
Chasing 255 for the win, LSG needed a fast start in the power play. They did get off to a decent start and fast, but not at the required rate they would have wanted. Mitchell Marsh and Ayush Badoni opened the batting and got the side off to a start, but not to the level they would have liked. Yes, in the power play overs, if one looks at the comparison, LSG were 61/1 while PBKS were 63/1. So, the first 6 overs were even.
Where LSG lost out was the middle phase between overs 7-15. The PBKS batters, courtesy Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly, added 130 runs in that phase of 9 overs. LSG, on the other hand, managed around 80 runs in a similar phase. That is a huge difference which can never be covered up.
Mitchell Marsh looked good but went for 40. Ayush Badoni got a start of 35 off 21 balls and got out. Rishabh Pant scored 43 off 23 balls, and later on, Aiden Markram made 42 off 22 balls, and Mukul Choudhary made 21 off 17 balls. But the intensity wasn’t there, and when the end overs started, it was more about saving the NRR than going for the target.
LSG must get their batting order right, as making Badoni bat out of position, in a 255 chase, made no sense. Constant changing in batting order does not help, and adding to the fact that Markram was in decent form, batting down the order did not help. LSG needed to show the right intent, as despite having wickets in hand, PBKS never felt the heat. These are areas to work on to get better for the visitors.
Continuous failure of Nicholas Pooran is denting LSG
It does not matter whether it’s a challenging pitch or a flat pitch; Nicholas Pooran’s form continues to be patchy and lean. Ever since he retired from international cricket, Pooran has been in wretched form in the other leagues and now here in the IPL is no different. He has struggled to get going this season as the runs have totally dried up. He looks lost out there.
On a pitch where everyone was scoring so many runs, and the pitch was getting better by the night, one would have expected Pooran to get some score. The likes of Markram, Marsh and Pant got some score on a good deck. But Pooran here also struggled to cope with the pressure. He scored 9 off 9 balls, hitting a boundary and then got out as well. Pooran’s lean run is affecting the team as LSG banks on him to be a consistent batter and impact player. As of now, he is creating an impact for the opposition and not for his team.
A decision may have to be made by the LSG management to bench Pooran and try someone else. Maybe change the combination a little bit. Because doing the same things isn’t working for the team anymore. Yes, Josh Inglis is still unavailable and doing honeymoon elsewhere. The team has Matthew Breetzke as an option, and maybe he could be tried out. LSG can look at beefing up their bowling with a foreigner, as all Indian bowling can go for runs on a flat deck. So, a lot of thinking to do for LSG going forward in this league.
What Lies Ahead
So, LSG have some work to do as they return home to play in Lucknow a couple of games, including taking on the KKR side next Sunday. PBKS are flying high and remain on top with 11 points, being unbeaten as well. They won by batting first now, after winning all the games chasing earlier. Things are looking good for them. There is a Monday night blockbuster coming your way. It’s the Western Derby as GT hosts MI in Ahmedabad. GT with 3 wins in a row are in 6th place. MI with 4 straight losses in 10th place. All to play for later tonight.
Let’s see how things unfold between the two teams later tonight in Ahmedabad.
Also Read:Â PBKS vs LSG: Priyansh Arya & Cooper Connolly Smashes LSG To Remain Unbeaten