"Pant can do it at a strike rate of 160" - Harbhajan Singh suggests batting position for LSG skipper in IPL 2025

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons that new Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant must open the batting for the franchise in the IPL 2025 season. Harbhajan believes that the destructive left-hander can be at his dangerous best if he gets to face as many balls as possible.

Pant was part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise from 2016 to 2024. He captained the team last season, but the franchise failed to make it to the playoffs, finishing sixth in the points table, with seven wins and seven losses. Having been released by DC, he was purchased by LSG for a record ₹27 crore.

During a discussion on ESPNcrcinfo, Harbhajan backed Pant to open the innings for LSG in IPL 2025. Detailing his reasons for the same, the former cricketer said:

"I think he should open. No doubt, he's got a good record at other positions. But, he could do even better as an opener. He's got the game for it - he plays fast bowling well. He should look to bat long even after the powerplay. In this format, you want your best players to face most balls. The Orange Cap winners are always players who bat at one, two or three. But, Pant can do it at a strike rate of 160."

The 44-year-old added that Pant has the experience to succeed at the top of the order for LSG and could be a headache for bowlers with his ability to play unconventional strokes. Harbhajan elaborated:

"I don't think they would want to move [Nicholas] Pooran from three. He needs to face as many balls as possible. Same for Pant. As an opener, he can start from ball one. He is an experienced player and will make the bowlers think because he plays those unconventional strokes. I think you need a guy who can bat like that in the powerplay and then continue. I've heard that is what Lucknow plans to do."

LSG will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with a match against Delhi Capitals at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Monday, March 24.

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Rishabh Pant's IPL stats

Having made his debut in 2016, Pant has featured in 111 IPL matches and has scored 3,284 runs at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, with the aid of one hundred and 18 half-centuries.

The 27-year-old's best of 128* came off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Delhi in the IPL 2018 season. The sensational knock featured 15 fours and seven sixes, but came in a losing cause. The southpaw's most prolific IPL season came in 2016 when he scored 684 runs in 14 matches at an average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60.