'He's still yet to totally understand the white-ball game': Rishabh Pant criticised for poor IPL 2025 form – Firstpost

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has not been great. Many former cricketers are not happy with how he has been batting in the latest IPL season. After missing the 2023 season due to car accident injuries, Pant made his return last year with a bang.
However, things haven’t gone as planned for the Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who became the most expensive player in IPL’s history with a price tag of Rs 27 crore after being bought by LSG in the auctions. Pant left Delhi Capitals and joined the Lucknow-based franchise for IPL 2025 but he hasn’t been able to make a mark yet.
Speaking on Star Sports, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said Pant is still trying to figure out how to play white-ball cricket. “We have to recognise that he’s still yet to totally understand the white-ball game – both formats, 50-over cricket as well as T20 cricket. A fabulous Test match batter, make no mistake about it,” Bangar said.
He also pointed out how Pant’s shot selection in IPl 2025 has been confusing. “This season, he got out a number of times playing shots behind the wicket – reverse sweeps, very fine shots. But when you look at his best innings, he scores runs by playing down the ground. Cover drives, stepping out and hitting straight, over midwicket – that’s his game,” Bangar added.
Former India batter Robin Uthappa also criticised Pant for his poor batting form this season. After Delhi’s recent match against Punjab Kings, Uthappa said Pant looked completely confused. “The batter in Rishabh Pant is lost in confusion. There’s a serious lack of clarity,” Uthappa said.
He was also surprised when Pant promoted Abdul Samad ahead of himself in the batting order. “That move showed he didn’t know what his role was. Nothing’s working for him right now. He needs to step back and clear his mind,” Uthappa concluded.
Pant has scored just 128 runs in 11 innings at an average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22. This is so far his worst season with the bat. Pant will be looking to bounce back once the IPL 2025 resumes. Pant’s team LSG is also not doing well this year. They are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoff race.
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