 "Rishabh Pant's form becomes a major concern for Lucknow Super Giants as IPL's most-expensive player fails to fire")
In what was expected to be a season of redemption, Rishabh Pant’s form is becoming a major concern for Lucknow Super Giants. The most expensive player at the IPL 2025 auction, Pant was bought by LSG for Rs 27 crore amid much fanfare and expectations. However, the explosive wicketkeeper-batter is yet to justify his price tag, struggling to make a mark with the bat in the tournament thus far.
Pant’s latest outing against the Mumbai Indians was yet another reminder of his ongoing struggle. Walking in at a crucial stage of the game after the openers had provided a flying start, Pant once again failed to accelerate or anchor the innings, falling cheaply for 2 off 6 and leaving the middle order exposed.
While LSG managed to pull off a 12-run victory thanks to the batting heroics of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, and David Miller, and the brilliance of Avesh Khan and Digvesh Rathi with the ball, Pant’s continued lean patch is slowly becoming a headache for the franchise.
High investment, low returns
With four games already under his belt, the concerns regarding Pant’s form are growing louder. His struggles with the bat this season are evident from his scores of 0, 15, 2, and 2 in four innings, with his highest contribution coming against Sunrisers Hyderabad late last month.
For a player of his calibre and price, the lack of impactful performances is beginning to hurt LSG’s middle-order stability. The Lucknow-based franchise have lost two matches in four outings and are currently placed in the middle of the points table. As LSG chase a playoff spot, Pant’s form could make or break the campaign.
LSG still backing their star
Despite the underwhelming returns, Pant continues to have the backing of the LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka and team management.
“The moment we knew he (Rishabh) was not being retained, we planned the team around him. I’ve said this before, and I have no hesitation in saying it again: I believe he’s a great leader. We were very clear—we needed a leader who trusts and backs his instincts, who is fearless, who is destructive. And in Rishabh, we get all of that. “His best leadership is yet to come. So, 27 is the number we got him at. If it had meant 28, that would have been the number,” Goenka told JioHotstar.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsLucknow head coach Justin Langer has thrown his full support behind Pant and downplayed the concerns around his early form. “He will be fine. Don’t worry about Rishi. I have got one job and it is to keep him smiling,” Langer said after the win against MI.
“When you come into a new franchise, you try so hard and there’s a lot of expectation. He is the captain of the team and with that often comes pressure. None of us can understand that. There must be a dozen people out of 1.5 billion people in this country who understand that pressure.”
“So, we will stay with him, keep him smiling, keep him relaxed and when he comes good, my gosh. We have won 50 percent of our games so far and Rishi hasn’t made many runs yet. Imagine when he does start making runs.”
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
