Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant, who came out to bat at No. 4, could only contribute 2 (5) to LSG total against Punjab Kings at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Asked to bat first, LSG posted 171/7 on the scoreboard, on the back of handy innings by Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni who registered 44 and 41 runs respectively. In response, Punjab Kings were in a hurry as Shreyas Iyer’s side chased down the LSG target with 22 deliveries to spare and 8 wickets still intact. Prabhsimran Singh (69) and skipper Iyer (52) slammed brilliant fifties to bring home second consecutive win for the unbeaten PBKS in ongoing season of IPL. Outdone comprehensively, all attention soon shifted to captain Rishabh Pant and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka. But why? Rishabh Pant Lucknow Super Giants brought 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant onboard for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in IPL 2025 mega auction last year in hopes of giving the franchise a fresh start under the new leadership but the BGT hero is yet to make a mark with the bat in the LSG jersey. In their IPL 2025 opener, Pant faced six deliveries but failed to open in his account against his former side Delhi Capitals. And despite putting up a score of 209/8 on the board, LSG were beaten by DC where the latter got to the finishing line with just 3 balls and a wicket to spare. In their second contest, LSG tasted victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium where Lucknow chased down the SRH target of 191 runs inside 17 overs. Here too, Pant could only muster up a 15-ball 15. Pant’s contribution with the bat for LSG so far: 0 (6), 15 (15), 2 (5). Expensive Bet? Although this was only the 13th match in IPL 2025 and there is plenty of time for players and teams to recoup, work on their basics, and make a mark, Pant’s disappointing display with the bat so far has not gone unnoticed by fans and critics of the franchise. Many wondered whether Nicholas Pooran was a superior candidate to don the leader hat for the Lucknow camp. His baniya buddhi is already calculating the per ball cost of buying Rishabh Pant pic.twitter.com/ubQpw8TQHP — Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 1, 2025 Also Read: Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About Himesh Reshammiya On ‘X’? Rishabh Pant in LSG scenes right now#LSGvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/BpTYJdkpDi — Rajabets ??? (@rajabetsindia) April 1, 2025 Still trying to figure out what was so special about Rishabh Pant to get 27 crores. He is a terrible captain and an even worse T20 batter. What exactly did Goenka see in him to make him captain when they had Nicholas Pooran? pic.twitter.com/AC1kkAnQZn — Jahazi (@Oye_Jahazi) April 1, 2025 Also Read: ‘Dhoni Wouldn’t Pick Dhoni’: Why Coach Stephen Fleming’s Statement Irked Chennai Super Kings Fans Sanjiv Goenka LSG owner Goenka who has already been singled out by IPL fans, had disappointment plastered over his face after seeing his side falter once again and understandably so. This was his franchise’s second loss out of three contests and his decision to gamble a staggering Rs 27 crore on Rishabh Pant came under immense scrutiny. Nahhh jus look at their faces man???? pic.twitter.com/xsQKP6yIWa — ?? (@PunjabiPunter_) April 1, 2025 Fallout With KL Rahul Lucknow Super Giants have been on the radar of trolls and memers ever since the franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka had an ugly outburst in the previous season of IPL. KL Rahul, the former LSG captain, was on the receiving end. This happened at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad where LSG were annihilated by Sunrisers Hyderabad batters. Chasing LSG’s modest score of 165/4, SRH’s Abhishek Sharma (75* off 28) and Travis Head (89* off 30) wrapped up the match under 10 overs. It was a humiliating loss. Goenka was then famously captured on camera wherein he interacted with Rahul after the crushing defeat. Goenka looked visibly upset and animated with hand gestures. The cricketer was clueless to the onslaught. To add insult to injury, Rahul was later dropped by Lucknow Super Giants after his 3-year-long stint with the IPL franchise. Rishabh Pant was brought in for Rs 27 crore. Rahul was subsequently purchased by Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Rahul also revealed in a chat later that the public spat with Goenka affected not just him but the entire Lucknow clan. “Whatever happened on the field after the game wasn’t the nicest thing to be part of or something that anyone wants to see on the cricket field. I think it did affect the entire group,” Rahul was quoted as saying in an interview to Star Sports.