After a heartbreaking last-over defeat in their IPL 2025 opener, Lucknow Super Giants bounced back in style, registering a dominant five-wicket win over SunRisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
Skipper Rishabh Pant, visibly relieved, credited his team for staying focused on the "controllables," a lesson he learned from MS Dhoni.
While Shardul Thakur’s four-wicket haul set the stage, it was Nicholas Pooran’s explosive 70 off just 26 balls that sealed the chase in just 16.1 overs. Pant praised Pooran’s fearless approach, emphasizing that LSG is still finding its best form but is thrilled to get their first win on the board.
"Big relief, but as a team we talk about the process. It's not about getting too high when you win and not about getting too low when you lose," said Pant.
"As a team, we can't focus on uncontrollables. My mentor said focus on controllables, and that is what I did," he added, referring to former India and Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni.
It was Pooran's whirlwind 70 that powered LSG to chase down the target in 16.1 overs.
"I think we just want to give freedom to him. You got to give someone the charge when he is batting well, and he has batted brilliantly for us," Pant said.
"The group is coming up nicely, we haven't played our best so far, but happy to get a win."
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