New Delhi: Lucknow Super Giants slumped to their second defeat in four IPL 2026 matches that was attributed to an inability to control proceedings on home soil.

LSG lost the toss and were invited to bat, struggling to reach 164 for eight on a slowish track at their home of Ekana stadium.

They lost wickets at regular intervals and didn’t have a 50-run partnership throughout their innings.

GT overhauled LSG’s score in 18.4 overs, winning by seven wickets and reflecting on their defeat strategy coach Kane Williamson pointed out the need to adapt to different surfaces.

“We would like to be clinical at home, but context is important. Across the four matches, there’s been a lot of problem-solving required on the surfaces we’ve been on,” Williamson said at the post-match press conference.

High-scoring matches have been the norm in the tournament so far but the conditions in Lucknow made stroke-making difficult for batters.

“When you turn on the TV and see teams getting 230-240 elsewhere, it’s different. Here, there’s been slow and variable bounce. We want to keep improving in those areas, take the positives, and learn from the rest,” the Kiwi pointed out.

“On these surfaces, which tend to slow down, you need to find ways to be effective. They’re not easy to hit on, but at other venues, you’d encourage more freedom if conditions allow.

LSG’s batting unit failed to fire in the day game but Williamson said he belives they have enough at their disposal to post big scores consistently, stressing on the altered dynamics due to the introduction of the ‘Impact Player’ rule.

“Today we were an inch away from seeing Pooran at his destructive best. He’s a world-class player, working very hard, and has a strong desire to make big contributions. We’ll keep seeing improvements from him,” he said.

“The margins are small now. With Impact Players, teams are effectively batting till eight or nine. It’s more about maximising roles rather than pacing innings like before.”

Backing skipper Rishabh Pant, Williamson said they have had a mixed start and still are in learning phase with two wins and as many defeats in four matches.

“All players, including him, have a strong desire to keep evolving. That’s what makes them great,” he said.

“We’re two weeks into a long tournament. The team has scrapped hard on challenging surfaces. We’re two from four but learning a lot and looking forward to the games ahead.”