“He cannot give any more excuses” - Former CSK batter’s massive statement on Rishabh Pant after LSG vs DC IPL 2025 match

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Ambati Rayudu opined that Rishabh Pant has to step up and take responsibility as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain. The wicket-keeper batter played at No.7 during the eight-wicket loss to the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday, April 22, in a move that caught nearly everyone by surprise.

Although battling crippling form, the expectation was for Pant to step out to bat after Nicholas Pooran's dismissal in the 12th over. Despite a favorable entry point for the left-handed batter, it was Abdul Samad who stepped out. Wickets continued to fall, but the skipper remained unmoved, with Ayush Badoni and David Miller both coming out ahead of him.

Pant eventually came out to bat at No.7 in the final over of the innings. He failed to connect both of his deliveries against Mukesh Kumar, and registered a two-ball duck instead.

Ambati Rayudu feels that Rishabh Pant needs to take the responsibility for LSG's botched batting display. Despite having a solid platform through Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh's 87-run partnership for the opening wicket, LSG crumbled in the latter half of the innings to end with just 159-6.

“I feel Pant really needs to take the onus on himself. He really needs to take the decisions on his own. You want everything to be said indoors. And also you don’t want any dirty laundry to be washed outside. Pant really needs to take the control of the decisions that are being made at LSG,” Rayudu said on Match Centre (via Inside Sport).

Rayudu mentioned that Pant has to bat higher up the order, and lead from the front.

“He needs to come up the order. He cannot give any more excuses. He is the captain. And it is a captain’s sport. We all acknowledge that. Going forward, they need to make a few changes: maybe get Mayank Yadav in. Also Rishabh Pant has to be batting slightly higher,” Rayudu added.

Rishabh Pant's big-money switch to LSG has not gone according to plan so far. Apart from his miserable run of form with the bat, he has also copped blame for his poor captaincy in the first half of IPL 2025.

Rishabh Pant has scored 106 runs at an average of 13.25 in IPL 2025

The flamboyant batter's IPL 2025 season began on the worst possible note after a six-ball duck against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Vizag. The string of poor scores continued as he accumulated only 19 runs from his first four innings. Although he scored a fifty against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), it was far from a convincing knock.

LSG are next scheduled to face the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 27.