NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s performances and massive IPL price tag have come under scrutiny after a disappointing season last time, where he struggled for consistency as the team missed the playoffs. The wicketkeeper-batter, bought for a record Rs 27.50 crore, is now being urged to rethink his approach as he aims for a comeback in India’s white-ball setup.Speaking on Star Sports, former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis criticised Pant’s lack of a clear game plan, saying, “Even in his method in Test cricket, it looks all over the place. “But there must be something in his head that says this is the blueprint I want to play with in Test cricket. It’s the same in T20 cricket. Just figuring out what your game plan looks like to give yourself the best chance of not being a 1 or 2 out of 10 player and instead be a 60 to 70% player, where you can have consistency.”He added that Pant seems overwhelmed by too many shot options: “It boils down to him having too many options in his head. It feels like he can score a six off every ball… But you still need a method even for T20 batting… with Pant, you feel like he’s always on the edge.”Du Plessis also questioned Pant’s huge auction value despite modest T20 numbers. He added, “You look at players like Pant in the auction and ask why there is such a big craze over someone like him… If you look at his T20 numbers, it’s not that great. So why is there such an obsession with him?” Pant scored just 269 runs last season at an average of 24.45, his lowest in IPL history, raising concerns about whether he has lived up to expectations.
