"Discussed with a lot of players, but...": Rishabh Pant reveals why he didn't use Ravi Bishnoi against MS Dhoni

Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) locked horns with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 30th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Monday, April 14.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lost against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2025 match by 5 wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

Also Read: Watch: MS Dhoni smashes stupendous one-handed six off Shardul Thakur in IPL 2025, finishes the match

We feel that as a team we were 10 to 15 runs short - Rishabh Pant

After being invited to bat first in the match, Lucknow Super Giants ended up with a score of 166 for 7 on the board. Rishabh Pant top-scored for LSG with 63 runs, while Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, and Abdul Samad made decent contributions.

Defending the score, Lucknow Super Giants bowlers just couldn't get the job done, and the captaincy of Rishabh Pant was also below-par as CSK were allowed to chase the target in 19.3 overs. Ravi Bishnoi, who bowled 3 overs, bagged two wickets, while Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, and Aiden Markram got one wicket each.

Speaking after the match, LSG captain Rishabh Pant said that they were 10-15 runs short with the bat. He stated:

"We feel that as a team we were 10 to 15 runs short, we kept losing wickets when the momentum was with us. We had to keep stitching in partnerships."

We discussed with a lot of players, but we couldn't take him (Bishnoi) deeper - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant further said that the pitch was stopping a bit but was good to bat and added that he has found his rhythm back with the bat. He said:

"The wicket was stopping a bit, but we could have got 15 runs more I feel. I am feeling better with each and every game, but sometimes it doesn't come off. Slowly getting into my rhythm, taking every match at a time."

When asked about not using Ravi Bishnoi against MS Dhoni in the death overs, Pant said that he had discussions with his teammates but couldn't zero in on the decision. Rishabh Pant said:

"We discussed with a lot of players, but we couldn't take him (Bishnoi) deeper, that (bowling his last over) didn't happen today. Bowling in the powerplay has been a concern for us, but we can pull things back. As a team we are looking to take the positives from each and every game and we are trying to improve."

How did LSG perform in the previous IPL match against CSK?

In their previous IPL match against Chennai Super Kings, the Lucknow Super Giants produced a memorable performance as they chased down a 211-run target to register a 6-wicket win.

Bowling first in the match, the LSG bowlers struggled against the CSK batters. Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan, and Matt Henry picked up one wicket each and allowed CSK to post 210/4 on the board in their 20 overs.

Chasing the target, Marcus Stoinis came out to bat at No. 3 after Quinton de Kock fell for a duck in the opening over. Despite the early setback and a sluggish powerplay that ended at 45/2, Stoinis held his nerve and began accelerating.

He reached his half-century in just 26 balls and kept LSG in the hunt with 128 runs needed to win in the final 10 overs. Stoinis was supported very well by Nicholas Pooran, and the duo hammered 70 runs in 31 balls before Pooran departed for 34.

Stoinis, however, remained unbeaten in the middle and completed his century in 56 balls. He finished his innings with an unbeaten 124 off 63 balls and guided Lucknow Super Giants to an epic victory in 19.3 overs.