‘Pant Needs to Accept the Fact That He’s Struggling’
What’s ailing Rishabh Pant? Ambati Rayudu has weighed in on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain’s ongoing struggles in IPL 2025, attributing much of his poor form to his reluctance to change his position in the batting order. Rayudu believes Pant does not have the right mindset to excel in the middle order and is better suited as an opener.
Pant, the most expensive buy in the last IPL auction at INR 27 crore, has struggled this season with just 128 runs in 10 innings. He has posted five single-digit scores, including a duck, and only one half-century. As a result, Pant sits 176th in the ESPNcricinfo MVP list, which takes into account a player’s overall impact. In PBKS’s recent match, Pant walked in at No. 4 after two early wickets but managed just 18 off 17 balls in their chase of 237. LSG ultimately lost by 37 runs, and are struggling in seventh position with six losses in 11 games.
“I feel sorry for him right now because he hasn’t changed his batting order or approach,” Rayudu said during ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “I think he’s being pretty stubborn about how he wants to go about things. It’s not working in his favour at the moment. It happens in this sport, and he’s going through a very, very bad patch. I just hope he takes this learning and improves on it, and doesn’t become more stubborn. He needs to accept the fact that he is struggling and try to do things a little differently to get better every day. That’s all you can do.”
Rayudu continued: “Pant, ideally, is an opener in white-ball cricket. He hasn’t been great in the middle order. He might have the skill set, but not the mindset to execute it properly. Maybe he’s better off in the top order where he can go after the ball from the start.”
Pant’s Frequent Batting Order Changes
Pant has moved up and down the batting order this season. After starting the IPL at No. 4, he shifted to No. 6, opened in one game, and dropped to No. 7, only to return to his preferred No. 4 position.
On Sunday, Pant showed some early intent with a six over mid-off against Marco Jansen, and later hit two boundaries off Yuzvendra Chahal. However, in the eighth over, while attempting to charge down the track and play a big shot, he lost control of his bat, which flew out to midwicket. The resulting catch was taken at deep cover. Katey Martin identified a pattern in his dismissals, describing it as a “downfall” for Pant: “He starts well with controlled shots but then plays reckless shots that we don’t expect. It shows he’s not mentally relaxed.”
Rayudu’s View on Pant’s Mental State
Rayudu also highlighted Pant’s mental state, stating, “At the moment, I would say he lacks confidence. He needs to relax and not be so reckless in his approach.”
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, who has had a solid IPL 2025 campaign, has been lauded for his captaincy. While his batting consistency has been questioned, his leadership has helped PBKS secure a spot near the top of the points table, with the team primed for a playoffs appearance.
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