Rishabh Pant Confidently Challenges SRH at Toss: 'We'll Chase Any Total They Set'

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Lucknow Super Giants' captain Rishabh Pant was completely unfazed by the chatter about Sunrisers Hyderabad potentially chasing a 300-run total at home ahead of their IPL 2025 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. At the toss, he confidently challenged the Pat Cummins-led team. LSG won the toss and chose to bowl first in their second match of the season.

Sunrisers have been formidable on their home turf. In their season opener against Rajasthan Royals, they racked up 286 runs, just one run shy of their own IPL record for the highest team total. Consequently, the buzz leading up to the game against Lucknow revolved around whether they could become the first IPL team to surpass the 300-run mark.

Despite the hype, Pant seemed indifferent to the external pressure, boldly stating that Lucknow was prepared to chase down any score to secure their first win of the season. They had previously lost their opening match against Delhi Capitals by a narrow margin of one wicket on Monday in Vizag.

"We need to get them out early and focus on chasing the target. It all depends on the team combination, which is why we chose to bowl first. We have the batting strength to chase it down," Pant mentioned after winning the toss.

When asked about the total he would like to chase after confirming Avesh Khan's inclusion in the playing XI, replacing Shahbaz Ahmed, the Indian star replied, "We’re ready to chase whatever they score; it doesn’t matter."

On the flip side, SRH kept their lineup unchanged.

"It doesn’t alter how our boys approach the game; we always aim to stay positive. It’s a lot of fun. You know what you’re getting into when you join this tournament. Even going for 10 or 11 runs an over can be a game-changer on some days. We want to win as a team and perform well as a bowling unit. Hopefully, we can score big. We’re sticking with the same team as the other day," captain Pat Cummins said at the toss.

Not a pitch totaling 300?

Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta shared his thoughts during the pitch report, suggesting that the surface isn't suited for a 300-run game.

"This is a red soil pitch, which means there will be some bounce and carry. However, as the ball ages, the pitch is likely to slow down a bit. Regarding dew, there wasn't any in the previous match, so I wouldn't anticipate it being a factor here either. Batting first and accumulating runs is definitely the strategy to adopt. Last season, this pitch hosted two matches, and in all four innings, teams scored over 200 runs. I expect a total of over 200 runs again, but reaching 300 might be a stretch, at least not tonight," he noted.

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