"I'm feeling very sorry for him": Ambati Rayudu attacks stubborn Rishabh Pant

The most expensive buy of IPL 2025, Rishabh Pant, is struggling badly both as a player and as the Lucknow Super Giants' captain. With a whopping INR 27 crore price tag hanging over his head, Rishabh Pant was expected to lead from the front as the captain, but this season turned to be a nightmare for him.

In 10 matches so far in the ongoing IPL 2025, Pant has managed only 128 runs, with five single-digit scores, one duck, and just a single fifty. His performances have been underwhelming, and his form is clearly hurting Lucknow Super Giants’ campaign, as they are now struggling at seventh in the IPL 2025 points table, with six losses from 11 games.

Rishabh Pant's poor form is hurting Lucknow Super Giants’ IPL 2025 campaign

Reacting to the LSG captain’s disastrous performance this season, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu has pointed out that Pant’s refusal to adjust his batting position is a major reason behind his struggles. Rayudu felt Pant is "pretty stubborn" about not exploring changes that could help him regain form in the tournament.

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Surprisingly, the cricket expert has pointed out that the Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s struggles seem more mental than technical, and his approach is just beyond his understanding. His stubbornness, as pointed out by Rayudu, could cost both his own confidence and LSG’s chances of making the IPL 2025 playoffs.

Rishabh Pant is going through a very, very bad patch: Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out: “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. I think he's being pretty stubborn about how he wants to go about things. It's not working in his favor 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 accepts the fact that he is struggling and starts doing things a little differently [and] tries to get better every day. That's all you can do.”

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Rishabh Pant's batting position shuffle fails in IPL 2025

Pant walked in at No. 4 against Punjab Kings and was dismissed for a 17-ball 18 during LSG’s 237-run chase. LSG lost the game by 37 runs to PBKS in Dharamshala on Sunday, May 4. Notably, Pant has been changing his batting position since the start of this season.

The LSG captain started the tournament at No. 4, then moved to No. 6 in one match, tried opening in another, and even dropped to No. 7 for a couple of matches. And then he once again returned to his preferred spot at No. 4.

Ambati Rayudu suggests Rishabh Pant to open in IPL 2025 after his middle-order woes

Rayudu raised serious questions about the left-handed batter’s role in the middle order, saying he lacks the right mindset to handle the situations at this spot. The former Indian batter believes that Pant is more suited to opening, where his natural aggression and flair can be better utilized.

He signed off by saying, “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.”