Lucknow Super Giants were rescued by rookie Mukul Choudhary in the closing moments against Kolkata Knight Riders, returning from Eden Gardens with two points, but the victory did little to mask their batting concerns. The underwhelming form of Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran has become increasingly evident with each passing game. While Pant did contribute to the win against SRH earlier in the season, his overall touch has looked far from fluent. He managed only 10 runs against KKR, falling at a time when LSG needed stability in the middle order.
His dismissal increased pressure on the rest of the batting lineup as the chase began to slip away. At one stage, the match appeared to be slipping from their grasp before Mukul’s composed innings turned it around with a knock to remember. His performance ensured LSG escaped with points despite lingering concerns over their inconsistent middle-order fragility remains.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif offered a sharp take on Pant’s dismissal, stressing the need for greater responsibility in the middle order. Reflecting on Lucknow Super Giants’ chase, Kaif felt Pant missed a key opportunity to anchor the innings after a steady start. With LSG already well placed in the powerplay, he said the experienced batter was expected to bat deep and finish the chase.
“…the team needed him (Pant) to stay till the end,” Kaif said on Star Sports. “He is an experienced player, having been in the IPL since 2016. The situation when he came out to bat was not particularly difficult. LSG had already scored 41 in the first five overs. One batter needed to take responsibility and bat through the chase. That role was meant for Pant.”
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“Rishabh Pant needs to find consistency”
In a further critique, Kaif said Pant must show more consistency as captain and take responsibility in key chases. He stressed that one good innings is not enough and urged Pant to read situations better and stay till the end to guide his team to victories.
“As captain, if you don’t take responsibility, you cannot help your team win games. Yes, he did well against SRH, but he needs to find consistency. Playing one good knock and then failing in the next few games is not enough. He has to read the match situation better and learn when to shift gears. A captain’s job is to stay till the end in a chase, and that is something Pant must work on,” he added.
