Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant faced fresh questions over form after another low score, even as head coach Justin Langer firmly backed the wicketkeeper-batter.
Pant made 15 off 10 balls in the six-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, extending LSG's losing streak to six matches in the ongoing IPL season.
Pant's batting numbers underline the slump. This season, the left-hander has 204 runs, averaging 25.50 with a strike rate of 128.30. The struggle mirrors last year, when Pant collected 269 runs in 14 innings, averaging 24.45 at 133.17. That campaign ended with an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls, which still stands out as a lone high point.
Rishabh Pant LSG form and leadership under scrutiny
Since joining Lucknow Super Giants as the record buy at the 2025 auction, Pant's returns as captain have been modest. Across 23 innings for LSG, there have been only two half-centuries apart from that 118*. Langer was asked whether Pant's price tag continued to weigh on performance, given the extended lean patch with the bat.
Langer dismissed the idea that P ant's auction fee was a factor and instead pointed to captaincy demands. "Honestly, I don't think the money has anything to do with it; I don't think that has anything to do with it at all. What I do think is that leadership is a tough position, you're carrying lots of pressure, and he knows that," Langer told the media.
Rishabh Pant LSG coach praises attitude and recent practice knock
Langer spoke about how Pant manages that responsibility during a difficult run. "He's carrying a lot of pressure for the team, and he does it, like all of us, with a smile on his face 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time, it's tough. But he's chipping away, he's working hard and, as I say, he's had a match-winning game earlier in the season. We love it when we see him smiling and playing that swashbuckling style of play, and he's not far off," Langer explained.
The Australian highlighted a recent practice match as evidence that Pant's best game remains close. "Well, it's funny how we played a practice game here two days ago, and Rishabh, I think he got… I'm not sure the exact final score, maybe 95 off 40 balls or 30 balls or something. "And you're just looking at it again, and you go, 'Oh my gosh, that's Rishabh Pant at his very best. ' So, you know, he's a very good player; we know that. We've seen him in Test cricket destroy teams at number five. "
Rishabh Pant LSG role change and Pooran's impact
Pant's move down the batting order against Mumbai Indians also drew praise from Langer, especially as Nicholas Pooran finally found runs. Pooran, enduring a difficult tournament, hammered 63 from 21 deliveries after walking out at number three, the slot where Pant has usually batted this season for Lucknow Super Giants.
Langer said the decision followed a week-long break and Pant's practice game assault. "And we felt today, with that and the way he played just two days ago after a seven-day break, that might be a good option for the team. He selflessly moved down the order to let Nicky P bat - that was unbelievable. "
The coach stressed that Pant's influence as captain remained central to LSG's plans despite six straight defeats. "So yeah, I mean, Rishabh's not far off. As a captain in the IPL, as a coach, you've got to keep fronting up, don't you? That's all you can do. And he'll keep fronting up and hopefully help us get some wins over the next few games," Langer said, as Lucknow Super Giants prepared to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday.
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