Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Zaheer Khan has openly criticized the pitch at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, suggesting that it failed to provide the home team any advantage. Following LSG’s crushing defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS), Zaheer questioned the pitch conditions, implying that the curator had not considered the needs of the home side while preparing the surface.
LSG struggled early in their innings, losing three wickets inside the Powerplay. Despite a brief recovery, they could only manage 171 runs, which PBKS chased down with ease in just 16.2 overs. The one-sided contest left Zaheer frustrated, as he expected a more favorable surface for the home team.
“What was a little disappointing for me here, considering it’s a home game, is that teams usually have some level of home advantage in the IPL,” Zaheer Khan remarked in a post-match press conference. “But looking at this pitch, it felt like the curator wasn’t thinking of it as a home game. Maybe it looked like it was a Punjab curator out here,” he added sarcastically.
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His comments echoed LSG captain Rishabh Pant’s concerns about the unpredictable nature of their home conditions. Pant admitted that the team is still trying to assess the playing surface at Ekana, which has behaved inconsistently so far this season.
Zaheer Khan, however, remained optimistic that such issues would not persist. “I hope this is the first and last time we face such conditions here because the Lucknow fans deserve better. They come in with high expectations, hoping to see their team dominate at home,” he said. “As a team, we accept this loss, but we’re determined to make an impact in the remaining home games. We still have six more matches here, and we will adjust accordingly.”
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With two losses in three games, LSG has slipped to sixth in the IPL 2025 points table. However, Zaheer Khan emphasized that the team is not panicking yet.
“It’s still early in the season,” he said. “We’ve been clear about our approach—we are a process-driven team, not overly focused on results. We’re identifying areas to improve, and we’ll work on them as the tournament progresses.”
