"Boiling Inside, Faking Composure": Rishabh Pant's Troubles Laid Bare After MI Defeat
Lucknow Super Giants are on the brink of elimination from the IPL 2026 playoff race following a shocking defeat to Mumbai Indians on Monday.
Lucknow Super Giants are on the brink of elimination from the IPL 2026 playoff race following a shocking defeat to Mumbai Indians on Monday. Batting first, LSG finally found a ray of hope as Nicholas Pooran returned to form, smashing 63 off just 21 balls. Riding on his explosive knock, LSG posted an imposing 228/5 in 20 overs. However, the total proved insufficient as Mumbai Indians produced a dominant chase. Openers Ryan Rickelton (83) and Rohit Sharma (84) put on a commanding display, helping MI chase down the target comfortably with eight balls to spare.
Amid these struggles, another worrying concern for LSG has been the poor form of captain Rishabh Pant. In nine matches this season, Pant has managed just 204 runs at a strike rate of 128.30. Former India coach Sanjay Bangar believes Pant's batting struggles are affecting his leadership and hurting the team's overall performance.
"Yes, that is the case because if you take that one inning away, I mean, if you're scoring runs, I think you would've been far much more clearer in terms of his decision making and also in whatever he's communicating," Bangar said on ESPNCricinfo.
"It's actually very important for a captain to maintain that stability around, you know, that inside you're boiling or inside you're hurting, but still at the forefront you have to actually fake a composure. And that is something which has been lacking so far in whatever we've seen of Rishabh Pant while communicating with the broadcasters," he added.
Pant scored 15 off 10 balls against MI and later admitted that had he contributed more with the bat, the result might have been different.
"Definitely, the way we started, I think we should have gotten more runs. But definitely some good signs. Can't say that. Definitely the boys played freely, but in the end, I think they bowled well because they are used to these conditions, for sure," said Pant at the post-match presentation.
Lucknow Super Giants
Mumbai Indians
Rishabh Pant