Zaheer Khan, the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) coach, stated that the club had never doubted Rishabh Pant’s batting talents. The wicketkeeper-batter struggled with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, as the Super Giants failed to advance to the playoffs.
Pant scored only 151 runs from 12 innings in IPL 2025, as LSG prepares for their season finale against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, May 28. The 27-year-old finished on a high note, hitting 118 not out from 61 deliveries, including 11 fours and eight sixes.
Despite LSG finishing seventh on the points table with six victories and eight defeats from 14 games, Zaheer believes Pant has performed admirably as captain. The former Indian speedster believes Pant’s batting form will provide valuable learning opportunities.
“He’s done well as a leader. That was a bright spot for us throughout the season. With this type of season, his bat form was undoubtedly improved. However, his abilities and calibre are undeniable. That’s how we’re looking at it,” Zaheer remarked during the post-match press conference.
“We’re happy he finished on a strong note – that’s the calibre he has, and the impact he can have on the game,” Zaheer added.
Jitesh’s blitzkreig saves RCB against LSG.
Following an invitation to bat first, the Lucknow Super Giants posted a gigantic total of 227/3 in 20 overs, thanks to Rishabh Pant’s historic century and Mitchell Marsh’s 37-ball 67. In response, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru got off to a flying start, thanks to the in-form pair of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli. While England’s wicketkeeper-batsman failed to capitalise on a promising start, Kohli scored his eighth half-century of the season.
Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone were then dismissed in the same over, allowing LSG to regain control of the game. However, stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma smashed an unbeaten 85 off 33 balls, and his partnership of 107 runs for the fifth wicket with Mayank Agarwal (41*) helped RCB finish the chase in 18.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
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