Wasim Jaffer opined that Rishabh Pant is under immense pressure, and that is the reason why he is unable to perform with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The former India opener's assessment came after the Mumbai Indians defeated the Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, May 4.
Pant, who has been having another dismal IPL campaign with the bat, scored just 15 runs in 10 balls before getting dismissed by batting all-rounder Will Jacks. Jaffer
said that unless Pant can play freely, he won't be able to bring his A-game to the fore.
"You will not be able to give your best because of that pressure; it doesn't bring out the best. You perform well when you play with an open heart and don't think about these things. I don't think we will be able to see his best, with the state of mind he is in now. It is visible from his body language and face how much pressure he is under," Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
The cricketer-turned-expert added that Pant isn't the right person to lead Lucknow. Instead, he suggested Aiden Markram's name as the ideal choice for captaincy.
"They lost a lot of matches easily, even the ones that they could have won. Their players did not perform, and there are big names in the coaching staff who were not able to motivate the players. They need to sit down and discuss the strategy. I have said it time and again that Rishabh Pant is not the right man to lead. I would have probably put in Aiden Markram as a captain in this team because of his sound mentality and temperament," Jaffer stated.
The owners need to show some patience and should not put too much pressure: Wasim Jaffer's advice to LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka
Jaffer mentioned that LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka tends to put his players under undue pressure by talking to them in front of the media too often. While the former admitted that every owner wants his team to win, amplifying the pressure on the players does more harm than good.
"The owners need to show some patience and should not put too much pressure. Every owner wants to win the trophy. Which owner would not want that? If you are in your face, be in front of the media so much, and are seen interacting with the players, that puts pressure on the players. The players generally don't do well under such pressure," Jaffer concluded.
