The highest Lucknow Super Giants have scored so far this season was when they chased down a 182-run target against the Kolkata Knight Riders. And that’s where their problem lies.

Ultra-aggressive batting approaches have taken IPL batting to the next level, where 200 or more is the routine total for any team. If they are not doing so, it will be very difficult for that side to keep pace with the others.

Lucknow’s scores this year have been 141, 164/8 and 146 while batting first. They have lost all those matches. The two games they have won have come through chases — once against the Knights, and the other when they chased down a 157-run target against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

That’s quite a tell-tale fact. It shows Lucknow’s batters have failed to deliver spontaneity while batting first; that’s a clear sign of a lack of confidence. But their game changes a bit when they are chasing, with a clear target in front of them helping their batters plan better.

In a nutshell then, Lucknow will have to pull their batting socks up when they take on the high-flying Punjab Kings away from home on Sunday. Punjab, last year’s losing finalists, are the only team who are yet to be conquered this season. Under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, they are playing as a well-oiled unit, excelling in every department.

Talking of captains, Lucknow had the good news of having Rishabh Pant fit and available for Sunday’s contest. Pant had injured his forearm in their last game.

But with Pant or without, Lucknow will have to bat better to win. Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni and Pant himself — they have the men to do that, but it just hasn’t clicked this year.

In the IPL, just chasing well is only as good as chasing shadows.