Following Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) defeat in IPL 2025, team mentor Zaheer Khan shared his opinion on captain Rishabh Pant's performance. Zaheer acknowledged that this season wasn't particularly stellar for Pant, but he ultimately returned to his powerful best towards the end.
Rishabh Pant was bought for ₹27 crore in the mega auction, and the team had high expectations of him. However, in the first 13 matches of IPL 2025, his bat remained largely silent, and he consistently failed to deliver b performances. This impacted not only his personal performance but also hindered the team's chances of reaching the playoffs.
However, in the final league match, Rishabh Pant played a powerful innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore, scoring a century off 61 balls. This was a positive moment for both him and the team. Unfortunately, Lucknow still lost the match.
In an interaction with the media, Zaheer Khan stated, “Rishabh Pant performed well as captain. This season was a learning experience for him with the bat. His ability was never in question.”
Zaheer Khan also mentioned that Pant's final match was a positive sign, and it was good to see him finish the season with a b performance. He added, “He has immense talent and is a key player for the team who can influence the game.”
Zaheer also discussed the team's challenges. He explained that several key bowlers were sidelined due to injuries, causing significant difficulties for the team. "We fought hard despite these challenges. Our batsmen also performed well, which is a positive," Zaheer commented.
