- May 15, 2025
Remember when the Lucknow Super Giants made the news with the ludicrous amount they paid for Rishabh Pant? That was a wow, this is going to be a wild moment! Cut to match 58 of IPL 2025, and Pant has turned back into a pumpkin. From the man whose swashbuckling mode of batting truly flipped the game on its head, back to the man mired in only frustration, criticism, and serious reflection, for him and the franchise. Now, everyone is asking if he is the biggest disappointment in what has been a rocky road of a season for LSG. Let’s see if we can make sense of the madness.
The Price Tag Problem: More Burden Than Boost
When you become IPL’s most expensive player, you can’t hide. With money comes expectations, and Pant hasn’t met those expectations. It’s not his fault that he was valued that much, but when you’re earning that much, the fans expect you to deliver match-winning efforts instead of lackluster performances.
This season, Pant’s form has been all over the place: mostly near disappointment. His batting position was not established, and constant adjustments in the batting order didn’t help his lack of clarity. There was even talk of him opening the innings (spoiler: he didn’t). He just looked out of touch, awkward, and, at times, lost.
To make matters worse, his signature chirpy, unbothered demeanor surfaced. We are talking about a person who went through a near-death experience and held on to a grin—and now he is out on the field against Punjab, looking like a man coming apart at the seams. His captaincy was reactive instead of proactive, which should not be what you want from your marquee man.
Tactical Blunders and the Captaincy Conundrum
The tactical confusion of LSG’s batting has been one of the weirder problems this season. They never fully got the pieces to fit together. How do you invest money in a big-money player like Pant, and yet he has no fixed role? Not his fault, that’s muddle-headed strategy. Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Mitchell Marsh? All left-handers, all like Pant? A logjam, and there was rarely a sense from the coaching team that they had a plan.
LSG appeared to have batting firepower on paper. But the batting line-up felt lopsided, clunky, and disorganized as it played out on the field. Every so often, there would be some moments (flashes rather) when Pooran and Marsh got LSG off to a good start, but overall, they felt like they were just covering up deeper cracks with duct tape.
Bowling Woes: A Fire with No Firepower
LSG might have had a question mark in their batting line-up, but their bowling line-up was a complete mess. It is hard to go far in the IPL without even a mediocre bowling attack, and arguably, LSG had the worst bowling unit of the season. They didn’t even field an experienced overseas pace bowler – not one. Shemar Joseph was in the squad, but he is still learning about it.
Shardul Thakur and Farooqi had their moments, and Digvesh Rathi was a rare bright spot, so much so that he replaced Ravi Bishnoi as the lead spinner. But overall, an attack that lacked bite and experience. Injuries didn’t help. Mayank Yadav came late, and Mohsin Khan never turned up.
Is Pant the biggest letdown for LSG this season? Statistics, feelings, and fandom would say yes. But, is he the biggest opportunity for LSG if he gets back in form? Absolutely. So what’s your answer? Should LSG capitalize on Pant’s value and try to build around him better? Or has it run its course, and now is the time to reset and be bold in the auction?
For more, visit JeetBuzz News to read our quality Cricket Blog updates. Explore if you want to reminisce and enjoy all of your favourite cricket players and nostalgic match moments. To ensure that you never miss out, keep updated and join in the fun!
