Lucknow Super Giants pacer Akash Deep has backed his captain, Rishabh Pant, amid widespread criticism of his form in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, saying the wicketkeeper-batter is a victim of “bad timing” rather than pressure.
Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history at Rs 27 crore, has endured a disappointing campaign. In 13 matches, the left-hander has managed just 151 runs at an average of 13.73 and a strike rate of under 100. His highest score—63 off 49 balls—came against Chennai Super Kings in a match that had little impact on LSG’s playoff chances.
“Look, I feel that in cricket, timing is also something very important,” Akash Deep said ahead of Lucknow’s final league fixture. “I don’t think it’s about pressure because Rishabh has played a lot of cricket, and at a very high level too, and he has performed as well. An athlete who has achieved so much in life knows how to handle pressure. So I don’t think pressure is the reason. It’s more about timing—sometimes you want to do something, but it just doesn’t happen. I feel that’s the phase Rishabh is going through right now.”
Pant was expected to bounce back strongly after being left out of India’s ODI XI during their victorious Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year. Instead, his IPL form has only raised more questions. In a must-win game for LSG, he was dismissed for just 7, chipping a return catch to Eshan Malinga.
Lucknow, who had invested heavily in building the team around Pant, failed to qualify for the playoffs. Alongside his struggles with the bat, his leadership has also come under scrutiny. Despite the team’s shortcomings, LSG did have their share of positives this season.
Their overseas trio—Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran, who has been the franchise’s standout performer—tore through GT’s bowling attack to post a massive 235/2. The bowling unit also impressed, offering glimpses of what the campaign might have looked like without the string of injuries that plagued them.
The addition of Will O’Rourke, signed as a replacement for the injured Mayank Yadav, proved to be a smart move. Spinner Digvesh Rathi, LSG’s find of the season, will also return for the upcoming clash after serving a one-match suspension for his animated send-offs.