IPL 2025: Zaheer Khan backs ‘leader’ Rishabh Pant despite his struggles with bat | Cricket News
Mumbai: A major reason for Lucknow Super Giants’ inconsistent IPL-2025 campaign has been the poor form of their captain Rishabh Pant, who has scored just 110 runs in 10 matches at an average of 12.22. His run includes six single-digit scores, with a top score of 63 against Chennai Super Kings.
On Sunday against Mumbai Indians, Pant managed only a two-ball four, falling to Will Jacks in LSG’s 54-run defeat. However, the struggling 27-year-old received solid backing from LSG mentor and former India pacer Zaheer Khan. Dismissing suggestions that Pant — bought for a record Rs 27 crore — is feeling the pressure of the price tag, Zaheer insisted that Pant “has been ticking all the right boxes as a leader” and just needs “something to click with the bat” to rediscover form.
“I wouldn’t relate it to anything like that. He is a leader, and he has been fantastic as a leader, which I can vouch for. The kind of effort he has been putting in to ensure each individual in the group feels comfortable and heard, and his planning around everything in the IPL, has been spot on.
As a leader, he is ticking all the boxes. As a batter, the middle order depends on Rishabh and I am very confident that the impact we want from him will come. It’s just about something clicking,” Zaheer said. Reiterating that the hefty price tag was not adding pressure on Pant, Zaheer said, “I wouldn’t relate it to pressure.
You have seen that he is the kind of personality who doesn’t dwell on setbacks. What happened in the last game is behind him. He is very optimistic and positive.” Zaheer emphasised that Pant remains key to LSG’s ambitions. “When you’re talking about a team aiming to win the tournament, you look at leaders who can take you forward. We’ve identified Rishabh as that leader.
Poll
What do you believe is the main reason for Pant’s poor performance this season?
Players will hit form and lose form — that’s how the game goes. Now, in the back end of the tournament, with pressure increasing, it’s about finding that one innings that can turn things around for anyone,” he said. Meanwhile, Zaheer expressed confidence that pacer Mayank Yadav’s pace will improve as he gets more game time.
Returning from a back injury, Mayank returned figures of 4-0-40-2 on Sunday, but clocked speeds below his earlier highs of 150-155 kmph. “It was important for him to complete his full quota of overs and stay on the field for 20 overs. Execution and speed will only improve,” Zaheer said.
