"It seems like he is not in the right mental space" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant failing again in LSG's IPL 2025 loss vs MI

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Rishabh Pant about his shot selection in the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) IPL 2025 loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI). He opined that the LSG skipper is potentially not in the right frame of mind from the batting perspective.

MI set LSG a 216-run target in Match 45 of IPL 2025 in Mumbai on Sunday, April 27. Pant managed only four runs off two deliveries in the chase as the visitors were bundled out for 161, losing the game by 54 runs.

Reflecting on LSG's chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that Pant has endured a horror run in IPL 2025 and wondered whether he is in the right batting mindset.

"The biggest story is Rishabh Pant's. What are you doing? He hit a four off the first ball and then got out off the second ball while playing the reverse sweep again. All of us say that one shouldn't comment on the way Rishabh Pant gets out because he scores runs like that only," Chopra said (8:45).

"However, one has to comment if he doesn't score runs, and he hasn't scored runs this year. I say he is a generational talent, but he has been extremely ordinary this year. The one good thing he did was that he came to bat at No. 4, but it seems like he is not in the right mental space, from the batting point of view," he added.

On the flip side, Aakash Chopra praised Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult for bowling potent spells during LSG's chase. While Bumrah registered figures of 4/22 in four overs, Boult picked up three wickets and conceded 20 runs in his four overs.

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"Suryakumar Yadav is batting like Suryakumar Yadav" - Aakash Chopra on MI's batting in IPL 2025 win vs LSG

Suryakumar Yadav scored an enterprising half-century in MI's IPL 2025 clash against LSG. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on MI's batting in their IPL 2025 clash against LSG, Aakash Chopra noted that while Rohit Sharma (12 off 5) smoked two sixes before he got out, Ryan Rickelton (58 off 32) and Suryakumar Yadav (54 off 28) scored quickfire fifties.

"Every guy has come in form. Rohit Sharma got out, but he hit two sixes. He was batting well. Ryan Rickelton was at the other end. He is now batting very well. Suryakumar Yadav is batting like Suryakumar Yadav," he said in the same video.

While pointing out that Will Jacks (29 off 21) and Naman Dhir (25* off 11) played crucial cameos, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that debutant Corbin Bosch (20* off 10) also contributed with the bat.

"There might be a slight question on Hardik Pandya's form as he hasn't scored runs for a long time, but Will Jacks did his job, and Naman Dhir came later and did his job too. They played Corbin Bosch in this game because Mitchell Santner had an injured finger. He too scored 20 runs off 10 balls," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra noted that the Mumbai Indians are a team on the rise. However, he added that their playoff qualification path is not straightforward, considering that they will face the Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in their last three league games.