Despite Errors, Playoffs Within Reach: Mayank Yadav Remains Hopeful as LSG Make Final Push

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), India – On May 9 (ANI report): In spite of finding themselves in a difficult spot on the IPL 2025 points table,
Lucknow Super Giants
(LSG) fast bowler
Mayank Yadav
stays hopeful regarding the team’s prospects for reaching the playoffs.

Currently, LSG occupies the seventh position with 10 points from their first 11 matches, boasting five victories alongside enduring six defeats. As just three fixtures remain in this phase of the competition, each game has become effectively do-or-die for Rishabh Pant’s squad.

Mayank Yadav
One of the rising stars in fast bowling acknowledged that the squad has faced challenges, notably in evaluating the playing surface conditions.

“In our assessment of the pitches and grounds, we’ve been somewhat tardy. I acknowledge that we’ve erred there,” stated Yadav at the pre-match press conference.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
As mentioned on ESPNcricinfo.

Nevertheless, the bowler is not prepared to give up quite yet.

“However, we have three games left, and if we manage to win those, there could still be a possibility for us to secure a spot in the playoffs,” he said, showing confidence in LSG’s potential to recover during the final stretch.

LSG is scheduled to face
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
, Gujarat Titans (GT), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their upcoming matches — a tough but achievable stretch.

As the IPL 2025 standings remain closely contested with playoff berths yet to be secured, LSG will look to deliver their top performance at crunch time.

In their previous game against
Punjab Kings
(PBKS) saw Abdul Samad and Badoni battle together, building an impressive partnership of 81 runs.
Lucknow Super Giants
endured a 37-run defeat
Punjab Kings
owing to a collapse in the upper order, they fell short by 37 runs.

Thanks to this victory, PBKS now stands at number two with seven victories, three defeats, and one tie, accumulating 15 points. In contrast, LSG occupies the seventh position, having secured five wins against six losses for a total of 10 points. LSG won the coin toss and decided to begin by batting first.

Josh Inglis contributed quickly with an impressive knock of 30 runs off just 14 deliveries, featuring one boundary and four maximums. Additionally, Prabhsimran formed a strong partnership worth 78 runs for the third wicket alongside captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 45 from 25 balls including five fours and two sixes. Later, they secured another substantial alliance as Prabhsimran teamed up with Shashank Singh to add 54 runs for the fifth wicket; here, Shashank notched up an unbeaten score of 33 from only 15 balls, hitting four boundaries and clearing the ropes once. These efforts propelled Punjab Kings to a formidable total of 236/5 after completing their quota of twenty overs.

Akash Singh (2/30) and Digvesh Rathi (2/46) led the wicket-taking chart for LSG.

While chasing, LSG dropped to 73/5; however, an 81-run partnership between Ayush Badoni (scoring 74 off 40 deliveries, including five boundaries and five maximums) and Abdul Samad (contributing 45 from 24 balls, featuring two fours and four sixes) enabled LSG to stage a comeback. Nonetheless, their total was limited to 199/7 after 20 overs.

Arshdeep Singh put up an impressive performance with a four-over spell, conceding 16 runs and claiming three wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai also shined with figures of 2/33 from his four overs. Marco Jansen followed suit, continuing the strong bowling display.
Yuzvendra Chahal
each took one wicket. (ANI)