When you’re Rishabh Pant, expectations are always sky-high. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spent a record ₹27 crore in the IPL mega auction, only for their captain to deliver underwhelming performances. While Pant is renowned for bringing the thrill of T20-style batting to Test cricket, his inconsistency in the shortest format continues to puzzle fans. With a career T20 strike rate of 127, his sluggish start to IPL 2025 has only intensified criticism.
His own performance has been forgettable so far, scoring a six-ball duck in LSG’s first match against his previous team, Delhi Capitals (DC), and a sluggish 15 off 15 balls in the subsequent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Although his batting didn’t influence the result of the match—thanks to blistering knocks by Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh—his failure on batting-friendly surfaces has annoyed fans. Of all the batters who reached double figures in SRH vs LSG, Pant’s strike rate was the lowest. In 21 deliveries that he has faced this season, he has only managed to score six runs and hasn’t even hit a boundary yet. And to add insult to injury, his captaincy and wicketkeeping were cited as the reason for LSG’s humiliating defeat to DC even though they controlled the game for most of it.
TV Anchor’s On-Air Meltdown
Pant’s disastrous beginning created a drastic response from a sports anchor on a top Indian YouTube sports channel. In a live show, the anchor was so infuriated that he threw objects at a television screen and almost knocked a glass table over in anger at Pant’s poor performances.
“IPL is underway. He (Rishabh Pant) got his opportunity but let me tell you, he is predictable now. You cannot rely on him. What kind of a captain is he? We don’t require such a captain,” the angry presenter shouted before brutally assaulting the studio equipment.
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— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) March 27, 2025
In spite of Pant’s travails, LSG registered a good comeback against SRH, winning comfortably by five wickets with 23 balls remaining.
Pooran, Shardul Shine in LSG’s Triumph
Nicholas Pooran stole the show with a 26-ball 70, which consisted of six fours and six sixes, helping LSG hunt down 191 in 16.1 overs. His rampage tore the opposing team apart on a flat Hyderabad surface.
LSG, captained by the costliest IPL player Rishabh Pant, lost Aiden Markram early but gained steadiness through a scintillating 116-run association between Pooran and Mitchell Marsh (52) in more than seven overs. Pooran was then dismissed lbw by Pat Cummins, with LSG standing at 120-2 in the ninth over.
Pant came in when LSG were well in the ascendancy but could not get going, making a run-a-ball 15 before mis-hitting a full toss from Harshal Patel. His wicket came after Marsh’s, who got out to his Australian teammate Cummins earlier. Ayush Badoni got out cheaply though, but Abdul Samad’s 22 off eight balls at a brisk rate helped LSG romp to victory.
Earlier in the game, LSG had held SRH to 190-9 after a win in the toss. Travis Head provided SRH with a good beginning with a quick 47, but Shardul Thakur stole the show with an all-time career-best IPL show. Though he went unsold in the auction, Thakur was subsequently picked as an injury replacement and stamped his authority immediately, taking 4-34. He gave a vital double strike in the third over when he sent Abhishek Sharma (6) and Ishan Kishan (0) off back-to-back deliveries.
