New Delhi: Rishabh Pant There was no hiding his disappointment after the Lucknow Supergiants suffered their ninth defeat of the season, but the skipper made it clear that one result — or a disappointing campaign as a whole — will not change the way he views his side.After LSG lost by seven wickets Rajasthan Royals In Jaipur on Tuesday, Pant dropped a rare F-bomb while backing up to his dressing room, insisting that the team’s quality remained intact despite being out of the playoff race. “We are proud as a team, regardless of our situation. The kind of team we have, we know we can win it. Whatever happens, we are pretty confident as a team and individually,” Pant said after the match.“It hasn’t gone our way, and everybody knows that, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re with a good team.”Pant supported the team despite another disaster.LSG looked in control after posting 220/5 on a flat surface at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, but the total proved insufficient as RR chased it down in just 19.1 overs. With teenage sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi leading the attack with 93 off 38 balls, Pant’s bowlers had no answer.The LSG captain admitted that his team fell short with the bat despite an impressive scoreline.“I think there are a couple of ways to look at it. In the middle overs and then in the last over, way. Jofra Archer Bold, I thought it was really good. But when you start like that, we could have actually scored five or 10 more runs on that kind of wicket, and we didn’t capitalize in the last over,” he said.‘Experience cannot be gained overnight’Pant also spoke about the challenge of defending a total on batting-friendly pitches, saying bowlers often have no margin for error.“It is definitely difficult because you always want to support your bowlers but sometimes it is difficult,” he said. There is less margin for the bowlers on such a wicket. Sometimes you have to have a simple plan, focus on one ball at a time and just try to execute it.He also acknowledged the value of experience in crunch moments, pointing out what LSG have lost at key stages this season.“Experience is something you always miss. It can’t be earned overnight. It takes years for people to gain that experience, and certainly under pressure, that’s the one thing that keeps you going,” he added.Pant also defended stopping Shehbaz Ahmed late in the chase, explaining that the decision was tactical against RR’s left-handers.
