MUMBAI: Rishabh Pant's unusual batting position for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025 has puzzled fans and former cricketers alike. Despite being the team captain, Pant has consistently come in late in the order, leaving many questioning the logic behind the strategy. The left-hander has managed just 110 runs from 10 games, averaging 12 with a strike rate of 98.
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Former India opener Kris Srikkanth voiced strong criticism of this decision, pointing fingers at head coach Justin Langer for Pant’s underwhelming run in the tournament. “I didn’t understand. Why did he come to bat for just two balls?” Srikkanth asked during his YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka. “What’s Langer trying to do? What’s the team management trying to do? What is Zaheer Khan trying to do? I don’t know. Some people say Rishabh Pant wanted to go in to bat, but they didn’t allow him. But he is the captain. Why should he need anybody’s permission to go in? At the end of the day, it’s the team management’s decision. Everybody’s sitting there. Langer is also there. Doesn’t he have brains?”
The criticism came after LSG’s match against Delhi Capitals, where Pant came out to bat near the very end and faced only two balls before being dismissed for a duck. His brief outing was followed by a visibly intense conversation with mentor Zaheer Khan in the dugout, further fueling speculation about a disconnect in decision-making.
Anil Kumble also weighed in on the situation during a post-match discussion on JioCinema, questioning the logic behind delaying Pant’s entry. “It’s alright if you wanted to bat more freely under less pressure by coming in late, but this was way too late,” he said. “The kind of frustration Rishabh is showing is evident that he was wronged. He probably wanted to bat higher. Was it his decision? Or was it coach Justin Langer’s, or maybe mentor Zaheer Khan’s? Whose decision was it? Because he looked very frustrated.”
The ongoing debate raises questions about LSG’s batting strategy and the role team management plays in critical in-game decisions, especially involving key players like Pant.
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