PBKS vs LSG: Mayank Agarwal rues disappointing batting effort after 5th defeat-We have to face the truth

PBKS vs LSG: Skipper Mayank Agarwal accepted that shoddy batting had hurt the team and led to the 20-run defeat at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants. However, Mayank also lauded the Punjab Kings bowlers for dishing out a fantastic performance with the ball.

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal was left to rue his team’s batting errors after his team suffered a 20-run defeat at the hands of newcomers Lucknow Super Giants in the 42nd match of IPL 2022 in Pune on Thursday. PBKS lost to LSG by 20 runs at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday, their fifth loss of this season.

Mayank has words of praise for Punjab Kings bowlers for restricting Lucknow Super Giants to 153 for eight in the IPL 2022 match on Friday. The pace trio of Rababda (4/38), Arshdeep Singh (0/23) and Sandeep Sharma (1/18) delivered in different ways, while leg spinner Rahul Chahar chipped in with a couple of wickets.

Put to bat, opener Quinton de Kock scored a 46 off 37 balls, while Deepak Hooda pitched in with a crucial 34 to take LSG to 153 for 8. In reply, Punjab Kings could only manage 133 for 8. Young pacer Mohsin Khan starred with the ball for LSG, snaring three wickets, while Krunal Pandya bowled an excellent spell of 2/11.

"I think we just kept losing wickets. We had batsmen who were set and we kept getting out. So many soft dismissals for us. It is disappointing and we have to face the truth. We didn't bat well enough and we were below par with the bat," Mayank Agarwal said in the post-match presentation ceremony.'

"The new ball was doing a bit, seaming around and there was some bounce, it was a crucial period and after that it did get better to bat on. We are bowling exceedingly well and doing a lot of right things as a bowling unit. Arshdeep has stepped, Rahul got wickets and KG being the big guy is always stepping up and getting us important wickets," Agarwal added.