"You stopped him" - Aakash Chopra questions Rishabh Pant's captaincy in LSG's IPL 2025 loss vs CSK

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Rishabh Pant's captaincy in the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) IPL 2025 clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He opined that the LSG skipper should have given Ravi Bishnoi his final over.

LSG set CSK a 167-run target in Match 30 of IPL 2025 in Lucknow on Monday, April 14. Bishnoi, who registered figures of 2/18 in three overs, wasn't given a fourth over as the visitors achieved the target with five wickets and three deliveries to spare.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener wondered why Pant didn't allow Bishnoi to complete his spell in LSG's IPL 2025 clash against CSK.

"I felt Rishabh Pant made a mistake in captaincy. Ravi Bishnoi's over should have been bowled. How will you do it if you don't give him his full quota of overs? He was one guy who had taken two wickets and hardly given any runs in three overs, but you stopped him," he said (4:20).

Chopra reckoned that LSG might have won the game had the wrist-spinner been given his final over.

"If you had given him that over, the result of the match might have been different. I think he missed a trick. I don't know how much dew was there on the ground. It's been said that there was dew, but Ravi Bishnoi should have bowled one more over," Chopra observed.

Ravi Bishnoi wasn't given the ball after the 13th over of CSK's innings. Rishabh Pant gave the final five overs to seamers, potentially allowing MS Dhoni (26* off 11), who has struggled lately against wrist-spinners, to play a match-winning knock.

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"He played some good shots but looked far from his peak form" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's knock in LSG's IPL 2025 loss vs CSK

Rishabh Pant scored a half-century in LSG's IPL 2025 clash against CSK. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Rishabh Pant wasn't at his best with the bat either in LSG's IPL 2025 clash against CSK.

"He scored runs in this match for sure, but the truth is that he didn't score that fast. They were 15 to 20 runs short. Their team gets slightly stuck if the top three get out. They got dismissed this time, and they came under pressure. The captain came and scored runs. He played some good shots but looked far from his peak form," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the usually destructive wicketkeeper-batter isn't able to play on his terms.

"He hadn't scored runs in the last few matches, so it is clearly visible that he isn't able to control the game and take it forward on his strength. Of course, you need a little help. (Ayush) Badoni and Abdul Samad were there with him for some time, but they didn't have enough runs on the board," Chopra observed.

Rishabh Pant scored 63 runs off 49 deliveries with the help of four fours and as many sixes. He was on a run-a-ball 38 at one stage before scoring 25 runs off the final 11 deliveries he faced.