IPL 2025: LSG slump from 87/0 to 159/6 ¡ª ¡®Rishabh Pant came like Dhoni but didn¡¯t deliver¡¯ fans slam late entry
Delhi Capitals held Lucknow Super Giants to 159/6 despite a strong start. Rishabh Pant¡¯s late entry drew heavy criticism online as fans questioned his role and form. From 87/0 to collapse¡ªLSG¡¯s middle order crumbled under Delhi¡¯s pace in this IPL 2025 showdown
Lucknow Super Giants looked well set at 87/0 halfway through their innings against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, owing to the partnership between Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. But what followed left both fans and cricket experts puzzled¡ªnot least because of Rishabh Pant¡¯s unusual delay in coming out to bat.
Strong start fizzles after Markram¡¯s exit
Markram¡¯s 52 off 33 balls gave LSG early momentum, supported ably by Marsh. But Markram's dismissal in the final ball of the 10th over triggered a sharp slide. Delhi¡¯s bowlers, led by Dushmantha Chameera and Mitchell Starc, began picking up wickets regularly. Starc cleaned up Nicholas Pooran for just 9, and soon after, Mukesh Kumar struck a double blow in the same over¡ªremoving Abdul Samad and Marsh.
Pant walks in last, scores zero
The final overs saw Ayush Badoni and David Miller attempt a rebuild, adding 49 for the fifth wicket. Badoni¡¯s 36 off 21 gave LSG a small lift, but Mukesh returned in the last over to remove him and Pant¡ªwho came in at No. 7. Pant faced just one delivery and was dismissed for a duck, raising questions about why the experienced batter came in so late.
Netizens question Pant's tactics and form
Social media was flooded with criticism. ¡°Rishabh Pant must have thought, ¡®If I come to bat too early, I¡¯ll get out¡¯¡ Then he thought he¡¯d hit a six or two in the end and take credit. Everything¡¯s ruined. Let¡¯s laugh on Sanjiv Goenka,¡± wrote one user.
Rishabh Pant must have thought, 'If I come to bat too early, I'll get out.' Then he must have thought, 'I'll play towards the end, I'll get 3 or 4 balls, and I'll hit 1 or 2 sixes to take the credit.
¡ª ??????x? (@Ctlthex) April 22, 2025
Everything is ruined
Let's Laugh on Sanjiv Goenka pic.twitter.com/4VfUYJU5fe
Another fan compared Pant to MS Dhoni, writing, ¡°Ye Rishabh Pant khud ko Dhoni samaj raha h kya jo last over me batting ko aa gaya?¡±
Ye Rishabh Pant khud ko dhoni samaj raha h kya jo last over me batting ko aa gaya #LSGvsDC
¡ª Poll.kholl (@PollkhollBanker) April 22, 2025
A third user said, ¡°Rishabh Pant should have come to bat early, can¡¯t see him batting at No. 7.¡±
Others looked ahead to international cricket. ¡°Pant¡¯s form is so awful. The England series will be very crucial. If he doesn¡¯t perform, he might be dropped from the India team,¡± said a user.
Rishabh pant form is so awful the series against England will be very crucial if he doesn¡¯t perform well there he might be sidelined from ict #IPL2025
¡ª Jeevan pranav (@Jeevanpranav100) April 22, 2025
The batting unit also drew heat. ¡°How can LSG end up with 160 after such a good start? Without Nicholas Pooran scoring, LSG¡¯s batting doesn¡¯t look good,¡± one post read.
How can LSG after a soo good start can end up with 160 on scoreboard . Without nicholas pooran scoring LSG batting does not look good . Rishabh pant should have come to bat early cant see him bttling at no 7 #IPL2025
¡ª SK AgarwaL (@SK9AgarwaL) April 22, 2025
Pant¡¯s form and delayed entry have left fans unconvinced ahead of bigger fixtures, both for LSG and potentially for India.
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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