"Was trying to do what MS Dhoni used to" - Ambati Rayudu's interesting take on Rishabh Pant's captaincy in DC vs LSG IPL 2025 clash

Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu believes Rishabh Pant's captaincy did not cost Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) their 2025 IPL opener against Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 24. Instead, Rayudu feels the LSG spinners' poor late-game execution lost them the nail-biting encounter.

LSG posted a massive 209 on the board in their 20 overs and then had DC reeling at 65 for 5. However, a late flurry from Ashutosh Sharma (66* off 31), combined with quickfire cameos from Tristan Stubbs (34) and Vipraj Nigam (39) helped DC pull off a one-wicket win in the final over.

Following the game, several fans and pundits blamed Pant's captaincy as he bowled Shardul Thakur for only two overs despite the veteran pacer picking up two wickets in his first over. LSG went with a spin-to-win mantra instead, with the spinners bowling all but six overs, including three of the final four overs.

Reflecting on Pant's captaincy, Rayudu made an interesting comparison with MS Dhoni in terms of his tactics. He told ESPN Cricinfo:

"He was trying to maybe do what MS Dhoni used to do on wickets like that, bowling spinners in the end. And his spinners actually let him down to be very honest. I don't think it's the captaincy. Its the bowling execution that has let him and LSG down."

The four LSG spinners picked up six wickets between them but also conceded runs at an alarming rate of 10.74 per over.

"We need to do the basics right more often" - Rishabh Pant

LSG captain Rishabh Pant urged his side to do the basics right for longer periods after the disappointing loss to DC in their IPL 2025 opener. Pant himself had a match to forget, scoring a six-ball duck and missing a couple of crucial opportunities behind the wicket.

Talking about the bitter defeat in the post-match presentation, he said (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"I think the runs were enough on the board. The batters batted really well. We may have lost the momentum in the middle but I think that was a pretty good score on this wicket. Definitely as a team we are looking to take positives from every match and learn from it. I think the more we get basics right the better we will get. We need to do the basics right more often."

After missing out on playoff qualification for the first time in their three-year history last season, LSG could not have hoped for a worse start to their 2025 IPL campaign. The side dominated most of the contest before conceding the advantage and folding under pressure in the end.

They will look to open their account in the next encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on March 27.