IPL 2025: Zaheer Blames Lucknow Pitch Curator After PBKS Loss
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Zaheer Khan examines the pitch during a practice session before the IPL match against Punjab Kings.
Lucknow: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have faced a tough start in IPL 2025, with two losses in three games putting them under pressure. Following a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS), team mentor Zaheer Khan openly criticized the Lucknow pitch, suggesting that it seemed like the PBKS “curator out here.”
Chasing 172 on a surface that offered grip and variable bounce, PBKS capitalized on opener Prabhsimran Singh’s explosive 34-ball 69 to comfortably outplay the home team. LSG now sits at No. 6 on the points table, with just one win in three matches and a negative net run rate.
“What was a little disappointing for me here, considering it’s a home game, and you know, in IPL you’ve seen how teams have looked at taking a little bit of home advantage, you know,” said the former India pacer in the post-match press interaction.
“So yeah, from that point of view, you’ve seen the curator is not really thinking that it’s a home game. You know, I think maybe it looked like, you know, it was Punjab curator out here.”
The former pacer, who was the global head of cricket development at Mumbai Indians before joining LSG, added that all this deprives the home team fans of watching their side dominating the proceedings.
“So, that’s (pitch) something which we’ll figure out. It’s a new setup also for me here. But I hope that this is the first and the last game when it comes to that, because you are disappointing the Lucknow fans as well.” “They’ve come up with so much expectations of winning the first home game here. As a team, we are confident, you know, we accept that we’ve lost the game, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to make that impact in the home leg. We still have six more games to go here,” he added.
Despite the loss, Zaheer said LSG is focused on following a process rather than just chasing results. He admitted the team needs to improve but assured that they are working on building a strong foundation for the tournament.
LSG’s first home game was disappointing for the fans, but Zaheer said his main focus is on setting clear guidelines for the team.
“See, that’s the nature of IPL, isn’t it? You will be on the go, you’ll be playing home games, away games. It was the first home game for us for this season, so yes, there were a lot of expectations and hopes. Punjab did outplay us, that’s how the game went.
“Like I said, you know, we are looking at the season in setting the parameters for us as a group. For us, it’s important that we look at the whole group as one and with one mission, one vision, going out there, finding ways to win games.
“So, when you’re looking at it that way, you know, there are going to be good days, bad days for us as we move along in the tournament. What matters is how we’re looking at things.”
The former pacer said he wasn’t too concerned about injuries and felt the team had still made a strong impact despite the losses.
“Yes, there were some injuries, but you look at the team which has taken the highest wickets in this tournament so far. You know, we’ve managed to create that impact, our first two games taking 18 wickets.
“This team has shown in the season so far, whatever little cricket is played, that we have the right outlook and the mindset to look at IPL, to look at the games. What you can expect is innovation, out of the box thinking, the fight, the hunger. And I think, you know, that sums up, you know, that sums up a team.
“And I think, you know, that’s something which we want to give it to the fans. We want to give it to the loyalists of Lucknow Super Giants. So that’s how we are looking at things.”
