"I Told You, Send Me In": Rishabh Pant's Post-Dismissal Chat With Zaheer Khan Decoded

Bought for Rs. 27 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, Rishabh Pant has arguably been the biggest flop of the campaign so far. A lot was expected from the stylish left-hander who broke all salary records in the T20 league with his switch from the Delhi Capitals to Lucknow Super Giants. However, in both matches against DC, LSG suffered defeats under Pant's leadership. What was baffling on Tuesday was the fact that Pant came out to bat at the No. 7 spot, promoting the likes of Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, and David Miller over him.

Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh once again gave Lucknow an astounding start at the top, putting 87 runs on the board for the first wicket. But the hosts could still put just 159/6 on the board at Ekana. Pant, who came out to bat after the dismissal of Ayush Badoni, couldn't even open his account before being bowled by Mukesh Kumar.

The LSG captain was visibly angry when returning to the team's dugout. Former India cricketers Anil Kumble and Suresh Raina feel Pant's frustration was down to the team management's decision to send him out to bat this late.

"It's alright if you wanted to bat more freely under less pressure by coming in late, but this was way too late. The kind of frustration Rishabh is showing is evident that he was wronged. He probably wanted to bat higher. Was it his decision? Or was it coach Justin Langer's or maybe mentor Zaheer Khan's? Whose decision was it? Because he looked very frustrated," Kumble said on Star Sports.

Pant and the team's mentor Zaheer, even seemed to have an argument on the bench, with Raina suggesting that it was about the wicket-keeper batter's position.

"20 overs are left. You have to keep wickets and captain the side. You have to make your side win. He is discussing that with Zaheer Khan. 'I told you, send me in'," Raina said.

While the output was understandably frustrating, Kumble feels it was wrong for Pant to react the way he did.

"You have to make peace in these situations. He is the captain. He has to take it in a positive way. Whatever frustration or anger he has, he should translate that into positive performance," said the legendary leg-spinner.