No end to Rishabh Pant's nightmare in IPL 2025, opening act flops as LSG captain stopped by Prasidh Krishna
IPL 2025, LSG vs GT: Rishabh Pant scored 18 runs off 21 balls. Eventually, he lost his wicket to pacer Prasidh Krishna.
In Mitchell Marsh's absence, Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant opened the batting alongside Aiden Markram in the IPL 2025 fixture against Gujarat Titans at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. However, the change in batting position did not change the left-handed batter's fortunes, as a string of poor scores continued.
The 27-year-old returned to the hut after scoring 21 runs off 18 balls. He eventually lost his wicket to Prasidh Krishna in the seventh over of the innings.
Rishabh Pant came charging down the track, giving himself room to go over the covers. However, he only managed to get a top edge to hand a simple catch to Washington Sundar at third man.
He would have departed earlier had Jos Buttler taken the catch off Mohammed Siraj's bowling. Pant had gotten a reprieve on the last ball of the third over of Gujarat Titans' innings.
Pant never looked comfortable at the crease, and Aiden Markram had to do the bulk of the scoring in the powerplay. Pant's innings included four boundaries, and several dot balls marred his knock.
Rishabh Pant has registered scores of 0, 15, 2, 2 and 21 in his five chances with the bat so far in the 18th edition of the IPL. In six matches of the IPL 2025 season, Pant has scored 40 runs at an average of 8 and a strike rate of 80.
Pant's record as an opener in T20s
This is the first time Pant has opened the batting in all T20s since 2022. He last opened the batting for India in a T20I against New Zealand in Napier.
This was also the fifth occasion in the IPL when Pant opened the batting. The previous four instances came in his debut season in 2016. His scores as an opener before the match against Gujarat Titans are: 69(40), 2(8), 32(26) and 1(2).
Before the contest against Gujarat Titans, Pant opened the batting in all T20s on 21 occasions, scoring 644 runs at an average of 32.20 and a strike rate of 162.21. He also has five half-centuries and one ton to his name while opening the batting in the shortest format of the game.
Speaking of the match between LSG and Gujarat Titans, the former won the toss and opted to bowl first. The visitors posted 180/6 in 20 overs owing to half-centuries by Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.
For Lucknow Super Giants, Shardul Thakur and Ravi Bishnoi scalped two wickets each.
