Former India batter Virender Sehwag tore into the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) management after the Rishabh Pant-led side slipped to the bottom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 points table on Sunday. LSG faced a defeat in the Super Over against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and the franchise must win all of its remaining fixtures to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the playoffs. On Sunday, LSG failed to chase the target of 156, and the match went to the Super Over. However, it was KKR who made light work of the one-over shootout to move to the eighth spot in the points table.
Sehwag was critical of LSG head coach Justin Langer and strategic advisor Kane Williamson for not doing their job and not understanding the limitations of the current side. The former India opener pointed out that LSG have been struggling in the batting department and that chasing totals has been their Achilles’ heel.
It is worth noting that LSG’s support staff comprises some of the biggest names, including Tom Moody as Director of Cricket, and Langer, Williamson, Lance Klusener, and Bharat Arun hold key positions in the setup.
“Lucknow Super Giants once again failed to chase down a total. I just don’t understand. You have a Director of Cricket and a coach. Kane Williamson, Justin Langer and Tom Moody are all there. Inka kya dimaag nahi chalta? (Are their brains not working?) Are they not able to see how their team has been performing? The team is not being able to bat, and still they are winning the toss and inviting the opposition to bat,” said Sehwag on Cricbuzz.
“If they won the toss and opted to bat first, even if they scored 140 to 150, the pressure would have been on KKR. I cannot understand this. You are not able to chase, but you are hell-bent and fixated on wanting to chase. Ye kahan ki samajhdari hai? Kaun le raha hai decisions? (How wise is this? Who is taking all these calls?),” he added.
Pooran move backfires
The biggest talking point of the LSG versus KKR game came in the Super Over when the former sent out Nicholas Pooran to face Sunil Narine. The left-handed batter, who has been woefully out of form in IPL 2026, was dismissed on the first ball, as he went for an ugly hoike off the bowling of Narine.
Lucknow managed just one run in the Super Over, and KKR overhauled the target of two runs on the opening delivery as Rinku Singh hit a boundary off the bowling of Prince Yadav.
After the loss, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that his team needs a “break”. The team will next take on the Mumbai Indians on Monday, May 4.