'A Big Blow For LSG': India Legend Fires Warning After Rishabh Pant's Poor Start To IPL 2025 – News18

Harbhajan Singh reckons Lucknow Super Giants need to work out a way to help their captain Rishabh Pant come out of his lean patch. The franchise splashed Rs 27 crore to sign Pant and made him the most expensive player in IPL history.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has not been able to do justice to his price tag so far in the ongoing season. In three innings so far, he has registered scores of 0, 15 and 2.
Harbhajan is concerned over Pant’s continuous failure with the bat.
The former India spinner suggested that the LSG team management should resolve the issue as soon as possible if they fancy their chances of reaching the IPL 2025 playoffs.
LSG finished seventh in the last IPL after having qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons.
“Rishabh Pant wasn’t able to do anything significant. His bat has been quiet so far. LSG will have to do something about him getting out early. This (Pant’s form) has been a big blow for LSG,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel after LSG suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings in Lucknow.
Pant was a key member of the Indian team that lifted the T20 World Cup last year in Barbados.  The southpaw was included in the Champions Trophy squad but didn’t get a game throughout the tournament with KL Rahul being preferred as the first-choice wicketkeeper.
The LSG skipper started his IPL 2025 campaign with a two-ball duck against former team Delhi Capitals.
LSG lost two wickets in the power play against PBKS and were in a spot of bother at 32/3 when Pant walked in. He managed to survive just five balls before Glenn Maxwell sent him back.
Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni helped LSG recover from the top-order collapse.
Abdul Samad provided the late blitz as his 27-run knock helped LSG finish with 171/7.
PBKS chased down the target in a dominant fashion, with Shreyas Iyer leading from the front, hitting an unbeaten fifty.
Prabhsimran Singh was credited for building the foundation. The 24-year-old opener struck 69 runs off just 34 balls as Punjab sealed the deal with 22 balls remaining.
LSG hope to get back on the winning track by overcoming the Mumbai Indians in the next IPL fixture, scheduled for Friday.

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