LSG mentor Zaheer Khan backs Rishabh Pant after a poor season with bat
Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant ended his Indian Premier League 2025 campaign as a batter on a high after slamming a century on Tuesday against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the last league game at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This came at the back of a terrible IPL 2025 season for Pant, who managed just 151 in 12 innings ahead of the RCB match.
Throughout IPL 2025, Pant crossed the 25-run mark just twice while averaging a paltry 24.45. This also meant that LSG finished sixth in the standings with just six wins in 14 matches. Pant’s 61-ball 118 also went in vain after RCB, riding on their stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma’s blinder, beat LSG by six wickets to book their seat in the Qualifier 1.
However, mentor Zaheer Khan believes there is no question about skipper Pant’s calibre, and his ability was never in doubt despite his underwhelming performances for most of the IPL.
“He’s been good as a leader. That was a positive for us throughout the season. The form with the bat was definitely a learning experience for him, having this kind of season. But the ability and calibre — no one had any doubt about it,” Zaheer said after their last league match.
Pant was bought in for a huge sum of Rs 27 crore at the mega auction. The former India pacer said it was good to see the swashbuckling keeper-batter end the season on a high.
“We’re happy he finished on a really strong note – that’s the calibre he has, and the impact he can have on the game,” said Zaheer.
“When you start off the IPL season, your first goal is to think of the playoffs, how you are going to get there…We obviously made the conscious effort of (trying to handle) the challenges which we are facing in the beginning of the season, which is losing a few of our main bowlers to injuries,” he added.
(With agency inputs)
