Rishabh Pant is ‘pretty stubborn’, says Ambati Rayudu; LSG skipper told to 'accept the fact that he is struggling'

To say Rishabh Pant has had a disastrous campaign in this year's Indian Premier League would be an understatement.

The Lucknow Super Giants skipper, known for his swashbuckling batting style, has scored only 128 runs in 10 matches in IPL 2025, and the left handed batsman registered yet another low score in Sunday's defeat to the Punjab Kings.

LSG lost to PBKS in Dharamshala on Sunday with Pant scoring only 18 (17) before getting out caught to a wild shot against Azmatullah Omarzai.

'Need to accept you're struggling'

Ambati Rayudu feels the LSG skipper is being "pretty stubborn" by not changing his position in the batting line-up and added that the southpaw is better suited as an opener, not as a middle order batsman.

"I think, at this point in time, I'm feeling very sorry for him because he's not been changing his batting order or his approach," Rayudu was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out.

"I think he's being pretty stubborn about how he wants to go about things. It's not working in his favour at the moment. It happens in this sport, to be very honest, and he is going through a very, very bad patch. It can happen to anybody.

"I just hope that he takes this learning and improves on it and doesn't become even more stubborn, but just accept the fact that he is struggling and start doing things a little differently (and) try and get better every day. That's all you can do, Rayudu added.

Pant not a middle order batsman

Elaborating on his point about changing his batting order, Rayudu felt Pant should open the innings for LSG.

"I think more than anything it's just the clarity of what he wants to do because Pant ideally for me is an opener in white-ball cricket, because in the middle order he has not been great.

"I know he loves playing in the middle but he doesn't have the batsmanship that is required or the skill set. Maybe he has the skillset, but not the mindset to execute that."

Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025

Pant has had a poor outing in IPL 2025, averaging a measly 12.80 at an appaling strike rate of 99.22. He has five scores under 10 including a duck and has registered only one half century this season.

He has been the butt of jokes and memes on social media and his price tag of ₹27 crore, the most expensive purchase at the IPL auction, has not helped matters for the swashbuckling batsman.

LSG remain seventh in the table with 10 points after Sunday's loss to PBKS, the team's sixth in 11 matches, and the race for playoffs has only gotten more difficult for Pant's team.

LSG next face current table topper Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, May 9, at home at the Ekana Cricket stadium in Lucknow.

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