Ambati Rayudu has criticized Rishabh Pant for his poor form and rigid batting approach in IPL 2025. Despite being bought for INR 27 crore, Pant has scored only 128 runs in 10 innings for Lucknow Super Giants. Rayudu called him “stubborn” for not adjusting his batting position or style and questioned his mindset for middle-order batting. With LSG struggling to reach the playoffs, pressure mounts on Pant to deliver and lead from the front.
Ambati Rayudu Criticizes Pant’s Tactics After LSG’s Downfall Continues
Rishabh Pant’s return to the IPL as Lucknow Super Giants captain has not gone as planned. Despite being the most expensive buy at INR 27 crore, Pant has failed to live up to expectations this season. With only 128 runs in 10 innings, including six single-digit scores, critics and fans alike are questioning his form and decision-making. Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has now joined the discussion, strongly criticising Pant for being “stubborn” about his batting approach and position.
Ambati Rayudu expressed disappointment at Pant’s unwillingness to adapt. “He’s not been changing his batting order or his approach. He’s being pretty stubborn about how he wants to go about things, and it’s not working in his favour,” said Rayudu. The comments came after Pant’s underwhelming 18-run knock in a high-scoring chase against Punjab Kings, where LSG fell short by 37 runs.
Ambati Rayudu, who has seen many ups and downs in his own career, pointed out that while failure is part of the game, adapting is crucial. “He is going through a very bad patch. I hope he learns from it and starts doing things differently,” he added. According to Rayudu, Pant may have the talent but currently lacks the mindset to execute under pressure in the middle order.
Interestingly, Pant has shuffled his batting position from opening to as low as No. 7 throughout the season, but often returns to No. 4 a spot where his performance has been far from ideal. Ambati Rayudu believes that Pant is better suited as an opener in white-ball cricket, where his natural game can flourish without the pressure of anchoring an innings.
As LSG sits with just 10 points from 11 matches and a poor net run rate of -0.469, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. They now need to win all three remaining games and hope other results fall in their favour a tough ask in such a competitive season. Whether Pant can turn things around under immense pressure remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the spotlight is firmly on the LSG skipper.
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