High Price, Low Performance: Rishabh Pant’s Huge Fee is Not Working for Lucknow Super Giants
When Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka had bid INR 27 crore to ensure Rishabh Pant joins his team only, never did he imagine that three matches down in the season, the LSG skipper would find himself in the middle of controversy.
The skipper has become the centre of social media memes after another disappointing performance in his latest match against Punjab Kings on April 1, Tuesday. Bought for a massive INR 27 crores, Pant created history by being the most expensive player at the auction so far. However, the star wicket-keeper batsman has failed to justify his huge price tag.
Whether through his captaincy or on-field performance, Pant has been struggling since the start of their campaign, delivering underwhelming performances. His inability to convert the performance into match-winning knocks has put immense pressure on the team, leading to disappointment among fans and cricket lovers alike.
By scoring just 2 runs off 5 balls against Punjab Kings, his inconsistency has led to intense trolling on social media, with netizens mocking his performance and questioning his worth as the most expensive player in the tournament.
They feel he has failed to live up to expectations, managing only 17 runs across three matches.
As per the pictures going viral post the loss, Goenka seems to be visibly upset with Pant and may be regretting his decision also, even though it’s only been a recent start to the long tournament.
Adding to the trolling, Rishabh’s old comments about Punjab Kings have resurfaced, where he admitted he was nervous about PBKS having the highest auction purse, as he only wanted to be picked by LSG.
The animated expressions on the ground showcase an engaging chat between the owner and captain, and many even suggesting that Sanjiv Goenka’s decision to let go of KL Rahul has indeed been wrong. Instead, he should have gone for Shreyas Iyer if he wanted to find a replacement for KL, who has experience and credibility in IPL, compared to Pant.
Pant had been dismissed for a six-ball duck in Lucknow’s opening game of the season against Delhi Capitals. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad also, Pant could only manage a run-a-ball 15 in his team’s chase of the 191-run target set by them.
LSG posted 171 in their 20 overs, but Punjab Kings chased it down effortlessly, winning by 8 wickets and 22 balls to spare. With Rishabh’s form under the scanner, LSG’s investment in him is facing serious questions.
Given the massive amount that the franchise had spent to buy Pant in the mega auction, it might not be long before Goenka has a stern conversation, much like the one he had with KL Rahul last year.
AS IPL 2025 progresses, Pant will need to silence his critics both as a player and captain, because if this form continues, then LSG’s gamble of bringing Pant might certainly look like one of the biggest miscalculation and debatable transfer of the season.
By: Tulika Agarwal
