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Lucknow Super Giants succumbed to Gujarat Titans and suffered an embarrassing defeat by 62 runs on Tuesday evening at MCA, Pune. After bowlers had put an impressive display by restricting Gujarat at 144, batters failed miserably and got bundled out at 82 in 13.5 overs. Deepak Hooda's 27 was the highest score during the run chase as eight of Lucknow batters could not even reach double-digit figures.
Post-match, Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir delivered a fiery speech in the dressing room and reminded players to pull up their socks as the going gets tougher. Gambhir lashed out at batters for giving up and let the match go away in his speech. Gambhir said, "There is nothing wrong in losing it is absolutely fine.... Today I thought that we had given up, we were weak. And honestly, there is no place for being weak in a tournament like the IPL or in sport. That is where the problem is."
Adding further, Gambhir said that team lacked a sense of winning the game, and the middle-order collapsed like a pack of cards. Former Indian cricketer also reminded players that the competition would only get tougher from here, and they need to buckle up till the ultimate goal is achieved.
"We are not here to just win a few games but to lift the title. We have to play every game as if it's a finale," added Gambhir. Notably, Lucknow Super Giants delivered an incredible bowling performance in the first innings to restrict Gujarat to 144.
Avesh Khan picked two wickets, while Mohsin Khan and Jason Holder returned with a single wicket each. However, the tight line and length from the Lucknow bowlers kept Gujarat batters at bay. Shubman Gill's 63 was the highest score for Gujarat, while Rahul Tewatia (22 off 16) too added valuable runs with the help of four boundaries. But Yash Dayal and Md Shami delivered incredible spells and provided early breakthroughs, later capped by Rashid Khan's four-wicket haul, which broke the spine of Lucknow's batting lineup.
