LSG mentor Zaheer Khan backs captain Rishabh Pant after century vs RCB, says 'no one had…'
LSG captain Rishabh Pant en route to scoring a hundred against RCB in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Photo: ANI)
Lucknow Super Giants mentor Zaheer Khan has asserted that skipper Rishabh Pant's calibre and ability were never in doubt despite his underwhelming performances for most of the IPL season and the charismatic stumper will emerge stronger after this learning curve. Bought for a whopping Rs 27 crore at the mega auction, Pant endured a lean patch, managing just 269 runs from 13 innings. He found his trademark big-hitting touch only in the last game of the season with a 61-ball 118 but that too ended up in a losing cause against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow on Tuesday.
'He's been good as a leader. That was a positive for us throughout the season. The form with the bat was definitely a learning experience for him, having this kind of season. But the ability and calibre — no one had any doubt about it,' Zaheer said in the post-match press conference on Tuesday.
A season of ups and downs. Tons of learnings taking back home.
Thank you LSG family for all the love and support. See you soon. @LucknowIPL#RP17 pic.twitter.com/o78E9QZ0Ni
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) May 28, 2025
The former India pace spearhead said it was good to see the swashbuckling keeper-batter, end the season on a high. 'We're happy he finished on a really strong note – that's the calibre he has, and the impact he can have on the game,' Zaheer added.
It was a disappointing season for LSG, who finished seventh with six wins and eight losses. A spate of injuries to key bowlers disrupted their rhythm and consistency.
'When you start off the IPL season, your first goal is to think of the playoffs, how you are going to get there…We obviously made the conscious effort of (trying to handle) the challenges which we are facing in the beginning of the season, which is losing a few of our main bowlers to injuries,' he said.
'We made an effort to not pay too much attention to that…and finding ways of winning the match,' Zaheer said.
'That is the process which everyone was aligned to and looking at that, we have had a decent season…but yes, we fell short and putting the game together was a challenge which was evident right through the season…,' Zaheer said.
Despite the bowling woes, Zaheer said the stability in the batting unit was a major positive. The overseas trio of Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran – the team's standout performer with the bat – brought solidity to the line-up.
'There are positives, a lot of positives – the stability was evident with regard to batting. But with regard to bowling, we were trying to figure out the combinations, we were trying to figure out the options which can get us over the line and that is something that was the story right throughout the season,' he conceded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Lot of ‘poisonous characters' in that team': AB de Villiers recalls ‘bittersweet' Delhi Daredevils IPL stint
South Africa legend AB de Villiers has had an enjoyable fortnight cheering on his country and his favoured IPL franchise ending their long title droughts. While the Proteas downed Australia to lift the ICC World Test Championship mace at Lord's, de Villiers was in attendance at the home of cricket, 11 days after he was present during the IPL 2025 final when his former team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, won their first title in 17 years. However, in a recent interview, the former South Africa captain recounted a few unpleasant memories from back in time, during his first three IPL seasons with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). de Villiers recalled the toxicity of the environment that left him with bittersweet memories even as he shared the dressing room with some of his childhood heroes. 'I'd hate to give you names-burning people, you know-but the Delhi Daredevils were in shambles. There were a lot of poisonous characters in that team,' he told 'There were lots of legends, which makes it a bittersweet memory for me. I still remember those times fondly. Some of the highlights of my life and career came during that stint-especially spending time with guys like Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori. These were my heroes growing up, and I was honestly a bit scared of them,' de Villiers added. While the 41-year-old enjoyed the 2009 season in South Africa, playing all 15 games for 465 runs, including a century, de Villiers only tallied 13 games in total from 2008 and 2010. '2009 was nice. I played almost the entire season in South Africa, came back, and I thought I was going to be the man. Then, all of a sudden, I wasn't playing again,' he recalled. 'It was mixed feelings. I was told I would be retained, and then the next minute, I saw myself in the auction. I didn't even know what had happened. So many weird things went on.' de Villiers was later roped in by RCB during the 2011 auction and would emerge as one of their greatest batting superstars alongside Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. Aggregating 4511 runs in 145 innings, de Villiers remains as RCB's second-highest run-getter, behind Kohli. 'The day I walked into RCB, I felt like they wanted me to play every game. I was so surprised. They just went, 'You're the man. You're going to grow here. You're going to become a great player with us-you're part of the family.' Done and dusted.'
Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
DPL expansion on the cards, says DDCA director Shyam Sunder
New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is planning to increase the number of teams in the second edition of the Delhi Premier League T20 tournament to eight, said its director Shyam Sunder Sharma. The inaugural edition of the DPL was held last year with six teams, representing different zones in Delhi, competing in the franchise-based tournament. "We are thinking of increasing facilities in DPL... there are talks of increasing the teams as well (from six to eight)," Sharma told PTI Videos, highlighting DDCA's plan to expand the tournament. "The new DPL season will begin in the first or second week of August," he added. Sharma said that DDCA was happy that a large number of players who competed in DPL last year had gone on to play in the Indian Premier League this year. "A total of 14 cricketers (who competed in) DPL played in the IPL... players like Digvesh Rathi, Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya, among others," he said, adding that there were plans to give a boost to women's cricket as well. DDCA recently kicked off a women's T20 tournament in which 41 affiliated club are taking part. Sharma said DDCA planned to add two more women's teams by next year. "Our apex council is giving special focus to women's cricket. If any (affiliated) club fields its women's team, it will be given ₹ one lakh as subsidy and if they build their ground, then they will be give ₹ 2.5 lakhs." Sharma said that the Arun Jaitley Stadium had undergone significant renovations and changes resulting in improved facilities for the players and spectators. "We got a bad name sometimes when lights went off or the pitch wasn't in good condition. So, we renovated the stadium to provide better facilities. It was a proud moment for our apex council when we were given the 'Best Pitch Award in IPL', which is a big achievement," he added. With the BCCI shifting the venue for the three-match women's ODI series between India and Australia in September-October from Chennai to Delhi and Mullanpur, Sharma said DDCA was committed to providing the best facilities to the players. The matches were moved to Delhi and Mullanpur as the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is undergoing a revamp of the outfield and pitches. "We will provide the best facilities (for the women's ODI here). We will have a lot of facilities to generate spectator interest. We have a good curator staff and everything is ready for Australia series," said Sharma. The DDCA is also planning to send players for umpiring courses to further nurture cricketing talent. "We want to send a few players from DDCA for umpiring courses." he said.
Hans India
44 minutes ago
- Hans India
Realised quickly I wasn't going to have much influence as Pakistan coach: Gary Kirsten
Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten, who coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup win, revealed that a quick realisation of how he wasn't going to have much influence as Pakistan's white-ball coach forced him to step down. Kirsten was appointed as Pakistan's white-ball coach in April 2024, the same time when Jason Gillespie became the Test team head coach. But just six months into his job, Kirsten resigned from the role. Months later, Gillespie, who was the coach when Pakistan won the ODI series in Australia, quit the team's coaching staff. "It was a tumultuous few months. I realised quite quickly I wasn't going to have much of an influence. "Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach then to have any sort of positive influence on the group," Kirsten said on the Wisden Podcast. Kirsten, who was also batting coach of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), further stated he is open to a return to coaching the Pakistan team, but under the right circumstances and with no external noise. "If I got invited back to Pakistan tomorrow, I would go, but I would want to go for the players, and I would want to go under the right circumstances. Cricket teams need to be run by cricket people. When that's not happening and when there's a lot of noise from the outside that's very influential noise, it's very difficult for leaders within the team to walk a journey that you feel like you need to walk in order to take this team to where it needs to go." "I'm too old now to be dealing with other agendas; I just want to coach a cricket team and work with the players – I love the Pakistan players; they're great guys. I had a very short period of time with them, and I feel for them. More than any other team in the world, they feel the pressure of performance massively; when they lose, it's hectic for them, and they feel that." "But they're professional cricketers, and I'm a professional cricket coach. When we get into that environment, there are generally certain things you do to help a team be the best that they can be, and when there's no interference, you go down the road, and if it's a talented group of guys, you're generally going to have success," he concluded.
