NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri has pointed to inconsistency between Lucknow Super Giants’ batting and bowling units as the key reason behind their poor run in IPL 2026, following their sixth consecutive defeat.
LSG went down by six wickets to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, despite posting a strong 228/5. MI chased down the target in 18.4 overs, powered by a 143-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (84) and Ryan Rickelton (83).
Analysing LSG’s ongoing struggles, Shastri said the team has failed to put together complete performances.
“The problem with LSG is that when their bowling unit performs, the batters fail to back it up, and when the batters score runs, the bowlers go for plenty. There’s no consistency,” Shastri said on JioHotstar. “Six losses in a row can really dent a side’s confidence, and even in games where you are in a comfortable position, there are thoughts like, ‘Will we win, won’t we?’”
Shastri also highlighted LSG’s inability to capitalise on strong starts, particularly with the bat in favourable conditions.
“You are 100 for one in seven overs, and in the next 13 overs, you score less than 130, which means you have faltered. And you won’t get better batting conditions than this,” he added.
He stressed that the franchise must urgently reassess its approach in key phases of the game if they are to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
“They’ll have to sit down and think about what went wrong in the last three overs while batting, and how they can tighten up their bowling,” Shastri said.
Shastri also called on the bowlers to adapt better across venues and conditions.
“The bowlers have to adjust their lines and lengths according to the conditions. The Lucknow wicket tends to assist fast bowlers, but when you go to Bengaluru or Mumbai and get good batting wickets, that’s where the real test lies,” he concluded.
Agencies