Despite the team’s victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has criticized Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant, saying the keeper-batter needs to increase his game knowledge and accept greater responsibility for steady results.
Mukul Choudhary’s six-filled half-century from a challenging situation helped LSG win a last-ball thriller by three wickets in Kolkata on Thursday, despite Pant’s lackluster innings of 10 runs and a subpar top-order effort.
Pant’s performance has been inconsistent; in his three games thus far, he has scored two subpar knocks on either side of a half-century. An experienced player like him should try to bat through the chase and not waste his wicket, Kaif said, pointing out the inconsistency.
“…the team needed him to stay till the end,” PTI quoted Kaif saying on Star Sports.
“He is an experienced player, having been in the IPL since 2016. The situation when he came out to bat was not particularly difficult. LSG had already scored 41 in the first five overs. One batter needed to take responsibility and bat through the chase. That role was meant for Pant.
“As captain, if you don’t take responsibility, you cannot help your team win games. Yes, he did well against SRH, but he needs to find consistency. Playing one good knock and then failing in the next few games is not enough. He has to read the match situation better and learn when to shift gears,” he said.
Pant should practice holding the crease and spending more time at the wicket, according to Kaif. “A captain’s job is to stay till the end in a chase, and that is something Pant must work on.”
Despite their key players’ lackluster performances, LSG is winning this season, according to India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, and they are not depending solely on them.
“They (LSG) were in a tough spot, but sealed a miraculous win with the help of their youngsters. Mitchell Marsh didn’t score much runs, Aiden Markram made only 22, Pant and Pooran also failed to get going.
“Despite their main batters struggling, LSG still rescued themselves and secured the win. Last year, they relied completely on their main players. This season, they are winning without relying on them,” said Gavaskar.
Power-hitter Nicholas Pooran’s form worried him as well; he said the Caribbean cricketer “looked lost.”
“What’s a concern for LSG is the poor form of Nicholas Pooran. He looked out of touch against KKR and LSG moved him to the middle order because they wanted more firepower there.
“But, he looked lost. He was just swinging his bat at each ball in the hope of getting some contact with the bat but that is not the Pooran we know. LSG will have to find a way to make Pooran regain his confidence back,” said Gavaskar.
Despite the failure of their best hitters, he claimed that LSG’s victory had a bright side because they now know that their young players, including Mukul Choudhary, are capable of pulling off a heist.
“Despite being at 104 for 5 after 13 overs, with all their main batters back in the dugout, they still managed to win. It gives LSG confidence. They know their fearless youngsters will come good at some point, and that belief alone can take them a long way.
“Unbelievable innings by this fearless prodigy, Mukul Choudhary. What I love about the IPL is that every day we get to see something different. Here, it is Mukul Choudhary, who stepped up and helped his side cross the finish line. This guy is a young kid who bats at number five for Rajasthan in domestic T20 cricket.
“He just comes into the IPL, plays an unbelievable innings and makes everyone talk about him. The confidence he showed and the way he executed his shots was simply amazing to watch,” added Gavaskar.
