"Rishabh Pant was furious"- Rift between the LSG captain and team management confirmed
Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant has been in the news since the time the match against the Delhi Capitals started. The two teams clashed with each other on Tuesday (22nd April) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant had a poor game against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Under his leadership, the team faced a disappointing 8-wicket loss against the Axar Patel-led side and they faced their 5th loss in the league.
One of the things that caught the attention of many was the batting position of Rishabh Pant against the Delhi Capitals. The keeper-batter walked out to bat at number 7 and in the last over. The team management promoted Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad and David Miller ahead of him.
He couldn't make an impact as he was back in the hut after a two-ball duck. After he got out, he was extremely angry. Even before that, he was seen having an animated chat with the mentor of the team Zaheer Khan and seemed to be unhappy with something.
Amid all this, Harbhajan Singh said that Rishabh Pant batting at number seven is beyond his understanding. He pointed out how the keeper-batter was furious and wasn't happy with something. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he said:
"Why did Rishabh Pant bat at No. 7? It's beyond my thinking. Let's try to solve it. Is Rishabh Pant batting at No. 7 justified? Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni batted ahead of him. Whose decision was it? It was either the team management's or Pant's. Pant however was furious. He was angry. Seemed as if he was told something because of which he wasn't happy. His mood was off too,"
How can a team win if its captain is unhappy - Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh also added that discussions made Rishabh Pant unhappy. He questioned the Lucknow Super Giants management, saying that if a captain of the team is unhappy team won't win. He said:
"This is my opinion. Some discussion took place about Rishabh Pant, which probably made him upset. We know Pant well. He is a good kid, who respects elders and seniors. But is it right? If Pant is struggling for form, would you demote him at No. 7? He is your captain. You send him at the toss. I didn't like it. How can a team win if its captain is unhappy."