"It was Punjab curator out here” - Zaheer Khan’s shocking statement after loss in LSG vs PBKS IPL 2025 match

Lucknow Super Giants' mentor Zaheer Khan called out the pitch at the Ekana International Stadium following a comprehensive defeat to the Punjab Kings on Monday. Zaheer suggested that it seemed as if the curator wanted to make a pitch that favoured the Punjab Kings more than the Super Giants.

With Punjab Kings opting to field first, they made early inroads into the Super Giants' batting, reducing them to 35/3 at one stage. Although Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad counterattacked to drag their side to 171/7, the visiting side gunned down the target only in 16.2 overs.

Speaking at the post-game presser, the former Indian pacer hopes it's the first and the last game that happens when conditions favour the visiting side more than the hosts, given it's disappointing for everyone. Zaheer, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, said:

"What was a little disappointing for me here...Considering it's a home game and in IPL you've seen how teams have looked at taking a little bit of home advantage, from that point of view you've seen the curator is not really thinking that it's a home game. I think maybe it looked like, you know, it was Punjab curator out here. So that's something which we will figure. It's a new set-up also for me, 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."

With the conditions historically known to favour spinners, the likes of Digvijay Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi and Manimaran Siddharth hardly got any purchase. Only Rathi was the wicket-taker among those and picked up the two to fall.

"We still have six more games to go here" - Zaheer Khan

Lucknow Super Giants. (Credits: IPL X)

Zaheer acknowledged that the Super Giants must take the loss in their stride and that it will need some out-of-the-box thinking to bounce back, adding:

"As a team, we are confident. We accept that we've lost the game, and we have got to do whatever it takes to make that impact in the home leg. We still have six more games to go here, and 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 the IPL. What you can expect is innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, the fight, the hunger, and that sums us up as a team."

Lucknow Super Giants will next face the Mumbai Indians at home on April 4, Friday.