Rishabh Pant Receives Scathing Criticism Following Another Disappointing IPL 2025 Performance

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant received scathing criticism and trolling on social media following another disappointing performance in the current IPL 2025. In a match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Pant could only score 4 runs off 2 balls before being bowled out by Will Jacks. His performance in the match contributed to his already disappointing total in this season, scoring just 106 runs in 9 matches prior to this game. Even though he is the costliest player in IPL history, purchased by LSG for a whopping Rs 27 crore, Pant's performances have not been able to justify his hefty price tag.

Frustration among supporters and cricket aficionados has risen only after each game in which Pant has done nothing much for his team. His recent flop show has induced a new cycle of trolling across social media sites as many call into question the absence of his runs and give jibes at his big-ticket auction sale price. There appears to be mounting pressure against the young skipper as he keeps faltering under the enormity of inflated expectations.

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians were in scorching form in the match. Suryakumar Yadav maintained his excellent form, hitting a forceful 54 runs off 28 balls, including four sixes and four fours. This effort saw MI consolidate a tricky total of 215/7 from their 20 overs. With his third fifty this season, Suryakumar Yadav became the leading run-scorer in IPL 2025, reaching 400+ runs. His performance also saw him complete a major milestone, reaching 4,000 runs in the IPL.

While Suryakumar spearheaded the MI attack, Ryan Rickelton also played a big role with an impressive 58 runs. His power-packed knock was made in just 25 balls, featuring some huge shots that gave the MI a heavy-footed approach to batting. Rickelton's association with Will Jacks, who had made 29 runs, put additional pressure on the LSG bowlers, who could not manage the game and allowed MI to overpower them.

In spite of having a few of the LSG bowlers' biggest names in their lineup, they were unable to curb MI's unrelenting stroke-play. The LSG bowlers, particularly in the powerplay, were struggling, and Rickelton punished everything loose. B Bowling first with the hope of getting a spin-friendly surface was proved wrong when the pitch became more batting-friendly. Although MI lost wickets in the middle overs at a rapid pace, they were able to keep a high run rate throughout the innings.

The early reply of Rohit Sharma, MI captain, did not impact the momentum of the team. Rohit, who was in sublime touch with successive fifties, was out for a sublime 12 runs after scoring two sixes from Mayank Yadav. Rickelton, who took over from there, forged a solid second-wicket stand with Jacks that formed the basis of MI's reply of mammoth proportions. The aggressive approach of the two players left the LSG with minimal margin to come back and generate pressure.

In the later part of the innings, MI's lower order too kept accumulating runs, as Naman Dhir added 25 runs from 11 balls and debutant Corbin Bosch added 20 runs from 10 balls. This saw MI reach over the 200-run mark, giving LSG a humongous target to overcome. The Mumbai Indians' performance was the opposite of the failure of Rishabh Pant and his team, as they could not make any impact on either side of the game.

The online criticism of Pant has come to a new high, with people questioning his position in the team if he keeps underperforming. Even though he is one of the most costly players in IPL history, his inconsistency is now a serious issue for both the franchise and supporters. As every game goes by, the expectation from Pant increases, and many are left wondering whether he will revive his form or not before it is too late for LSG in IPL this season.