New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri feels that the lack of consistency and poor backing between batting and bowling units have played a key role in Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) poor performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

Lucknow Super Giants slumped to their sixth consecutive defeat after going down by six wickets to the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, despite posting a formidable 228/5. Mumbai chased down the target in 18.4 overs, riding on a commanding 143-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma (84) and Ryan Rickelton (83).

Analysing LSG’s campaign, Shastri highlighted the team’s inability to deliver collectively with both bat and ball. He also believes that back-to-back losses can dent the confidence of any side

“The problem with LSG is that when their bowling unit performs, the batters fail to back it up, and when the batters score runs, the bowlers go for plenty. There’s no consistency. Six losses in a row can really dent a side’s confidence, and even in games where you are in a comfortable position, there are thoughts like, ‘Will we win, won’t we?’” Shastri told Jio Hotstar.

He further pointed out how LSG failed to capitalise on strong starts, especially in batting-friendly conditions.

“You are 100 for one in 7 overs, and in the next 13 overs, you score less than 130, which means you have faltered. And you won’t get better batting conditions than this,” he added.

Shastri stressed that the team management needs to reassess their approach, particularly in crunch phases of the game, as they look for an outside chance at the playoffs.

“So, they’ll have to sit down and think about what went wrong in the last three overs while batting, and how they can tighten up their bowling,” he said

Shastri also urged the bowlers to adapt better to varying conditions across venues.

“The bowlers have to adjust their lines and lengths according to the conditions. The Lucknow wicket tends to assist fast bowlers, but when you go to Bengaluru or Mumbai and get good batting wickets, that’s where the real test lies,” he concluded.

–IANS

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