"Our ₹27 crore Rishabh Pant also failed" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's batting in IPL 2025 win vs MI

Former India player Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Rishabh Pant endured another failure in the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) IPL 2025 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI). He noted that the LSG owners haven't yet gotten any returns for the exorbitant sum (₹27 crore) they spent to acquire the wicketkeeper-batter at the IPL 2025 auction.

Although Pant managed only two runs off six deliveries, LSG set MI a mammoth 204-run target in Match 16 of IPL 2025 in Lucknow on Friday, April 4. The home team then restricted Hardik Pandya and company to 191/5 to register a 12-run win and climb to sixth spot on the points table.

Reflecting on LSG's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram's contrasting half-centuries helped them reach a big total despite Nicholas Pooran (12 off 6) and Rishabh Pant's failures.

"When Lucknow came to bat, they had an M&M pair in Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. Their playing styles were very different. Aiden Markram played cautiously and took the game till the end. Mitchell Marsh played a destructive game, and they scored nearly 70 runs in the powerplay," Chopra said (2:40).

"Nicholas Pooran failed, and our ₹27 crore Rishabh Pant also failed. It is a problem, sir. The LSG management is thinking that he hasn't scored as many runs thus far as the number of crores they spent. He got a top edge this time too, and Corbin Bosch took the catch. However, eventually, you reached 200, which meant it was going to be a tough chase," he added.

While Marsh smashed 60 runs off 31 deliveries, Markram scored a 38-ball 53. Ayush Badoni (30 off 19) and David Miller (27 off 14) were the other main contributors for LSG with the bat.

---

"He was sidelined after just 2 overs" - Aakash Chopra on Deepak Chahar not bowling his full quota in MI's IPL 2025 clash vs LSG

Deepak Chahar proved expensive in MI's IPL 2025 clash against LSG. [P/C: Getty]

Reflecting on MI's bowling in their IPL 2025 clash against LSG, Aakash Chopra noted that Deepak Chahar (0/23 in two overs), who has potentially been underutilized, and Trent Boult (1/28 in three overs) failed to strike blows with the new ball, with the latter missing a chance to dismiss Mitchell Marsh as they didn't realize that the opener had nicked the ball.

"There was an inside edge at the start, but you didn't appeal or take the DRS. If you had taken it, Mitchell Marsh would have been out, but nothing like that happened, and it proved expensive. Neither Trent Boult nor Deepak Chahar got a wicket, and it seems like Deepak Chahar is not given his full quota at all. He was sidelined after just two overs in this match as well," he said (3:05) in the same video.

The analyst praised Hardik Pandya for using the short balls effectively to pick up a five-wicket haul.

"Trent Boult couldn't get a wicket with the new ball. Hardik Pandya came, used slower balls, and picked up a five-wicket haul. He bowls beautifully. The big side boundaries were used well," Chopra observed.

Hardik registered figures of 5/36 in four overs. He dismissed Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant in his initial spell before returning to get rid of Aiden Markram, David Miller and Akash Deep.