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New Delhi: Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant said their nail-bitting win over Sunrisers Hyderabad would boost their confidence and his match-winning innings should also silence his critics.

Pant’s batting approach and relatively low strike rate has often attracted criticism but his 50-ball 68 not out pulled LSG to a five-wicket win over SRH on Sunday.

It was LSG’s first win in IPl 2026 after an opening match loss where Pant hit nine boundaries in his match defining innings.

“I know I’m preparing well. I want to let my bat do the talking. My colleagues and management see how hard I work, that’s what matters. I just don’t want to talk about that,” Pant said after their win.

“You know, when it ends well, all is well. You know, we always say that, but at the same time, you know, my focus personally, I’ve been preparing really well and giving my full commitment.”

Pant said it was satisfying to finish the match off the penultimate ball in a pressure situation and credite bowlers for setting up the win.

“Definitely, it’s a big plus. You know, when you get this at the last and finish the game, definitely a good plus for us,” he said.

“I think with bowlers, you know, you’ve got to appreciate and give them one because, you know, those are the people who set you up for the night, especially when you bowl first.

“I think (Mohammed) Shami bhai, Avesh (Khan), (Digvesh) Rathi, I think everyone’s contributed really well, especially (Manimaran) Siddharth coming in today.

“You know, we decided as a ground that he’s going to make up the play and he did really well for us.”

The keeper-batter also stressed on the need to maintain balance between criticism and the role of clear communication for individuals.

“We feel like, you know, only thing is there is never a perfect match. You know, you’ve got to be critical as a management, but at the same time, you’ve got to appreciate what’s happening inside,” the left hander said.

“I think the only conversation is, you know, looking to, you know, execute the plan rather than feeling that I can do all this. Trust your preparation and just take on the game.” Pant added that learning remains an ongoing process for the side as it looks to improve with each outing.

“You know, when you slack so well, like I said before, you’ve got to be critical, but at the same time, we are looking to learn as a team and get better every single match.”