New Delhi: In a thrilling contest at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced a five-wicket defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The match highlighted a tactical challenge when Ravi Bishnoi, LSG’s standout bowler, was not deployed for his fourth over despite his impressive performance. LSG captain Rishabh Pant instead opted for fast bowlers in the final overs, raising questions about his strategy.
As the Super Giants defended a modest total of 167, Bishnoi stood out by taking two crucial wickets, dismissing Rahul Tripathi and Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth and 13th overs respectively. His bowling figures of 2/18 from three overs included nine dot balls, showcasing his effectiveness. However, when CSK faced a daunting task of scoring 56 runs from the final five overs, Pant chose not to utilize Bishnoi’s skills further.
CSK successfully achieved the target with three balls to spare, thanks in part to explosive performances by Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni. Bishnoi, despite not being given the opportunity to bowl again, expressed support for Pant’s decision-making. He acknowledged that Pant may have had alternative strategies in mind, hinting at the complexity of captaincy decisions in high-pressure situations.
Pant himself revealed that he considered using Bishnoi for a fourth over but decided against it after consulting with other players. Meanwhile, Digvesh Rathi and Aiden Markram, the less experienced and part-time spinners respectively, completed their full quota of overs.
