Lucknow Super Giants defeated KKR by 4 runs in a thrilling match played on 8 April. In this match, many decisions made by Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant proved to be useful for the team. One big decision was that Pant did not come out to bat, which surprised the spectators at Eden Gardens. He did not bat during the full 20 overs of the game.
Instead, after Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh got out, Pant sent Abdul Samad and David Miller to bat. Lucknow’s team had a strong start.
Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh made a 99-run partnership for the first wicket. After that, Pooran and Marsh scored 71 runs in just 30 balls. Everyone expected Pant to come in at number 4, but instead, Abdul Samad came out to bat, which shocked everyone. After the match, Pant explained why he didn’t come to bat.
Why did Rishabh Pant not bat in the match against KKR?
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has been under pressure since the beginning of IPL 2025. The franchise bought him for ₹27.75 crore in the auction. But so far, Pant has not been able to prove his worth. His performance this season has been disappointing. When he didn’t come out to bat in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), fans trolled him heavily on social media.
Pant chose strategy over form
Even after Abdul Samad was dismissed in the 19th over, and the team had already crossed 220 runs, Pant did not come out to bat. Instead, he sent David Miller to finish the last over.
After the match, Pant explained,
“I think (left-right combination) this was my thinking. Looking at their spinners, we wanted the left-right combination to remain. It worked well for us.”
Poor form continues for Pant
Rishabh Pant is currently struggling with the bat for his new franchise. He is the most expensive player in IPL history but has only scored 19 runs in five matches so far. His scores in those matches have been 0, 15, 2, and 2. While some fans were upset with his decision not to bat against KKR, others felt his strategic call helped the team.