Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper IPL 2025 has been underwhelming and inconsistent. After being the most expensive buy in the auction at INR 27 crore, Pant, who had many expectations to match, has struggled to deliver, both as a batter and as a leader. After LSG’s recent 37-run defeat to Punjab Kings, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu criticised the southpaw’s approach and batting position.
Pant has managed to score just 128 runs in ten innings, including six single-digit scores and a single half-century. While LSG had early success in the tournament, their skipper’s form went largely unnoticed. However, with the team’s campaign now declining, many have questioned his performance.
Against Punjab, chasing 237, the Haridwar-born had the opportunity to anchor the innings but perished early after contributing 18 runs off 17 deliveries. After smashing a six and two boundaries, he attempted for big shot off Azmatullah Omarzai but lost control of his bat, and ended up handing a simple catch. Rayudu pointed out Pant’s batting position and his unwillingness to change it.
“I think, at this point in time, I’m feeling very sorry for him because he’s not been changing his batting order or his approach. I think he’s being pretty stubborn about how he wants to go about things. It’s not working in his favour at the moment,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out.
“It happens in this sport, to be very honest, and he is going through a very, very bad patch. It can happen to anybody. I just hope that he takes this learning and improves on it and doesn’t become even more stubborn, but just accepts the fact that he is struggling and starts doing things a little differently [and] try and get better every day. That’s all you can do,” he continued.
Maybe he has the skillset, but not the mindset: Ambati Rayudu
Notably, Pant has shuffled his batting position multiple times this season, from opening to No. 7 but continues to come back to his preferred No. 4 slot, where his struggles have been consistent. The former Indian batter also questioned Pant’s mindset, believing the southpaw doesn’t have the same temperament to bat in the middle order as he had earlier.
“I think more than anything it’s just the clarity of what he wants to do because Pant ideally for me is an opener in white-ball cricket, because in the middle order he has not been great. I know he loves playing in the middle but he doesn’t have the batsmanship that is required or the skill set. Maybe he has the skillset, but not the mindset to execute that,” he added.
With just 10 points from 11 games and a poor net run rate of -0.469, LSG must win all three remaining matches to have a shot at playoff qualification. Even then, big wins and favourable results in other matches will be important in their pursuit.
