'Rishabh Pant can't make excuses, was tensed': LSG captain bashed for Zaheer Khan act; bluntly told 'take control of...'
Rishabh Pant has been going through his worst IPL season ever, managing just 106 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of just 96.36, with a solitary fifty.
Contrary to most experts, who kept speculating the reason behind Rishabh Pant batting at No.7 in the IPL 2025 match against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, where the Super Giants lost by eight wickets, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu lashed out at the Lucknow captain for "giving excuses" and for his animated chat with Zaheer Khan in the dugout.
For the first time in nine years in his T20 career, Pant batted as low as No. 7, as Abdul Samad, David Miller and Ayush Badoni were all sent ahead of him. He walked out to bat with just two balls left in the innings and was dismissed on the final ball without getting off the mark.
As experts questioned the logic behind the move that resulted in Lucknow's defeat, a video of Pant's animated discussion with franchise mentor Zaheer towards the end of the match's first innings went viral on social media.
Speaking on Star Sports, Rayudu thrashed Pant for his act, saying the visuals do not paint a good picture of the franchise.
"I feel Pant really needs to take the onus on himself. He really needs to take the decisions on his own. Sometimes these visuals are not really good if you are a good team. Because you want everything to be closed doors. You want everything to be said indoors. And also you don't want any dirty laundry to be washed outside," he said.
Rayudu also urged the wicketkeeper-batter to take onus as a captain and be in control of the team decisions taken at the LSG.
"Pant really needs to take the control of the decisions that are being made at LSG. He needs to come up the order. He cannot give any more excuses. He is the captain and it is a captain's sport. We all acknowledge that. Going forward, LSG need to make a few changes: maybe get Mayank Yadav in. Also Pant has to bat slightly higher. You are visibly quite tensed about the whole situation," he added.
Pant has been going through his worst IPL season ever, managing just 106 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of just 96.36, with a solitary fifty. Lucknow will next take on Mumbai Indians on April 27 at the Wankhede.
