Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant said that they endured a challenging IPL 2026 season after a seven-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings in their final group-stage match on Saturday as well. Reflecting on the defeat, Pant said that the team had to accept the result while focusing on learning and rebuilding for the next season as well.

“It’s a tough one, we have to bite the bullet, keep our head high, it’s been a lot of learning, a tough season for us for sure,” Pant said. He added that LSG felt their total was competitive but acknowledged the advantage of batting second on a good surface. “I think we scored enough. It’s harder in the second innings because the batting gets easier; that’s why everyone wants to field first,” he said.

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Pant also opined on several positives from the season, naming key performers who contributed during the season as well. However, he also expressed confidence in their ability to bounce back stronger next season as well.

“As a team, we want to look at the positives. Josh Inglis, Mitch Marsh, and Prince had a terrific season. Mohsin is coming back from injury … Shami bhai. Definitely a lot of positives,” he again said. “It’s been a long season; we promise to come back stronger next year,” Pant added.

However, Punjab Kings produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat LSG by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 clash in Lucknow, chasing down a target of 197 with ease as well. Skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed a brilliant unbeaten maiden IPL century (101 off 51 balls), while Prabhsimran Singh scored a fluent 69 off 39 balls to seal the deal.