Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s horror showing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 continued as his side was eliminated from playoff contention after suffering a six-wicket defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on 19 May at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
The wicket-keeper batter could manage only seven runs off six balls before being dismissed by Eshan Malinga, with the Sri Lankan bowler taking a sharp catch from his own delivery.
The latest poor showing has been a part of a disappointing run of form that has seen Pant score just 135 runs from 12 matches, averaging 12.27 with a strike rate of 100.
However, former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra expressed his empathy for Pant’s ongoing struggles in IPL 2025 and said that such challenges affect the mindset of a player.
“Success might teach you a few things. Failures, however, truly change your mindset – and often for good,” Chopra said, speaking for the official broadcaster JioHotstar.
Chopra also discussed how this poor run will impact Pant’s game, considering he lost his place in the national team, with Sanju Samson mainly taking over wicketkeeping duties.
“He (Pant) isn’t a regular in the Indian T20 side, so this season was crucial. A chance to make a mark, to build a strong unit. It hasn’t gone that way,” Chopra said. “His own form has been inconsistent – another lesson in itself. Does he stick to this approach in T20s or adapt? When you're in a bad patch, it feels like nothing works.”
However, the former Indian player backed Rishabh Pant to come out of this “nightmare” season stronger, saying, “This (season) has been a nightmare. The good thing about nightmares is that you eventually wake up.”
Nightmare is a word that is apt for Rishabh Pant’s ongoing IPL 2025 campaign. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka opted to make Pant the costliest player in IPL history, purchasing him for INR 27 crore in the mega auctions.
Since then, however, his performances have let his team down, especially considering the excellent form of their previous captain, KL Rahul, now playing for Delhi Capitals.
Like with T20Is, Rishabh Pant’s poor form has also led to a loss of starting place in the ODI and Test teams, where Rahul has overtaken him in the wicketkeeping duties.
With the tour of England coming up, rumours were there that, following Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement, the captaincy could have been handed over to Pant, but his IPL 2025 horror show has dashed any hopes of that.
If he has another now show in LSG’s final home game, there’s a real possibility that he might lose his place in the Indian Test squad altogether, which will be a massive fall from grace for the vice-captain.
After LSG’s elimination from the playoffs, Pant blamed the injuries to bowlers Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav as the setbacks that derailed his team’s campaign.
Lucknow Super Giants face Gujarat Titans in their next match on 22 May, and will be without their key bowler Digvesh Rathi, who has been suspended for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.
