Rishabh Pant was picked for a whopping INR 27 crores in the IPL mega auction, though he hasn’t really been going through the best of times this season. He’s just about managed the average of 12 and has struggled, irrespective of where he was put up to bat. When the top three of Lucknow Super Giants came up short against Punjab Kings, all eyes were on Pant to help chase down 237 runs. Unfortunately, in the way he got out, it reflected the tough season he has been enduring.
Formerly of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, Ambati Rayudu did not put moderation onto his criticism. He felt Pant should drop his stubbornness and learn from his mistakes. “I feel sorry for him because he hasn’t changed his batting order or approach,” Rayudu added on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “He’s being pretty stubborn, and it’s not working out for him right now. Everyone goes through rough patches, and I hope he learns from this and tries different things to improve.”
Pant has done the whole batting order for LSG, from No. 3 to No. 7. He has struggled everywhere. Rayudu reckons Pant would be better suited to opening in white-ball cricket. “He has not been great in the middle order. He loves batting there, but he may not have the right skills or mindset for it,” Rayudu said. “He seems tense and not very confident at the moment.”
