Watch: “Baffling decision!” Virender Sehwag slams LSG management after IPL 2026 Super Over loss to KKR

Lucknow Super Giants, experiencing their fifth successive defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, have dropped down at the bottom of the points table with just two victories in eight clashes at a net run rate of -1.106 as the pressure mounted massively on the Rishabh Pant-led side. 

In the first innings, LSG restricted the Knight Riders to 73/6 before the visitors finished with 155/7 in their 20 overs, thanks to an unbeaten knock of 83 runs in 51 balls by Rinku Singh. Lucknow wasn’t in the chase till the death overs before Mohammed Shami’s last over six pushed the game to the super over.

Virender Sehwag questions key decisions after defeat

The former Indian opener, Virender Sehwag, has slammed the LSG management after they failed in another chase. The veteran has struggled to understand how the Rishabh Pant-led side continued to bowl first after winning the toss. 

“LSG hasn’t been able to chase. I failed to understand why they always win the toss and decide to chase. I mean, they have the director of cricket, the coach, and a strategist. So, can’t they understand they had been trying to chase all the time?” Sehwag expressed on Cricbuzz.

Watch the video here: 

“If they had put up a score of 150 odd, wouldn’t it put the same pressure on the KKR side? This is what I have failed to understand. You have not been able to chase, but you still have been trying to chase. Markram should have come inside the power play in the batting.” The former opener addressed.

Rohan Gavaskar, the former Indian captain, has also pointed out how both these sides made the clash a hotch-potch despite being at a strong position.

See Also: Watch: Sunil Narine’s excellent double-wicket super over hands KKR win in IPL 2026 vs LSG

“Markram is a waste down the order. If you see the entire game, you will realize where these two teams have been in the points table. There was a point when it felt like KKR would win comfortably, while there was a time when it felt like LSG would get over the line easily, but they made it a hotch-potch at the end.” Rohan added.

It's hard to understand why the franchise hasn't batted freely before defending the total with their clincial bowling performance. That should be the norm for sides, who are strong in the bowling department. 

Lucknow Super Giants under fire following loss to KKR

Lucknow has struggled badly in the top order of the batting department. Their captain has accumulated only 189 runs in eight innings at 27, while Nicholas Pooran has struggled to find 82 runs off eight innings at an average of 10.25 and a strike rate of 81.18, with the best score of 22.

Lucknow will have a few days' break before they take on the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. That will be a hard fixture for the clash, who may be eliminated from the event if they fail to win that contest.