Follow UsLucknow Super Giants (LSG) legspinner Ravi Bishnoi feels captain Rishabh Pant would have had his reasons for not giving him the fourth over against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 14 (Monday). LSG lost to CSK in the final over and registered their third defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The Super Kings needed 56 off 30 deliveries when their captain MS Dhoni walked out to bat. Since IPL 2024, the 43-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has a strike rate of 220.56 against pace, which drops to 114.58 against spin. Bishnoi, who took two wickets for 18 runs in his first three overs, was having a great day with the ball, but despite that, Pant bowled five overs of pace at the end.
The move backfired as MSD smoked 26* off 11 and alongside Shivam Dube (37-ball 43*), propelled CSK to their second win of the season, also breaking their five-match losing streak in the process. LSG spinners Digvesh Singh Rathi, Aiden Markram and Bishnoi bowled 11 overs between them and took four wickets at an economy of just six. Meanwhile, LSG seamers leaked 101 runs in 8.3 overs.
"I didn't really talk (to Pant) about it, but I went to the wicket a couple of times (to check) and I think he had plans in place he wanted to execute. In such situations, the captain is better placed, and he keeps wicket, too, so he understands things better,” said Bishnoi at the post-match press conference.
"According to me, he took the decision he thought was better. He was clear in his mind and it's better in such tense situations that the captain thinks with a clear mind."
After the match, Pant said: "There was a lot of time when I thought about bowling his (Bishnoi) that (fourth) over. But we discussed with a lot of players and just couldn't let him bowl. We thought let's take it deeper, and that didn't happen for us today."
Lucknow will next take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur on April 19 (Saturday).