Former India player Aakash Chopra has said that Rishabh Pant faced another failure in LSG’s IPL 2025 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI). He added that the LSG owners haven’t yet gotten any returns for the huge sum (₹27 crore) they spent to buy him as well. Although Pant managed only two runs off six deliveries, LSG set a mammoth 204-run target as well.
Reflecting on LSG’s batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “When Lucknow came to bat, they had an M&M pair in Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. Their playing styles were very different. Aiden Markram played cautiously and took the game till the end. Mitchell Marsh played a destructive game, and they scored nearly 70 runs in the powerplay. Nicholas Pooran failed, and our ₹27 crore Rishabh Pant also failed. It is a problem, sir. The LSG management is thinking that he hasn’t scored as many runs thus far as the number of crores they spent. He got a top edge this time too, and Corbin Bosch took the catch. However, eventually, you reached 200, which meant it was going to be a tough chase.”
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Reflecting on MI’s bowling, Aakash Chopra shared that Deepak Chahar (0/23 in two overs), who has potentially been underutilised, and Trent Boult (1/28 in three overs) failed to step up with the new ball as well.
“There was an inside edge at the start, but you didn’t appeal or take the DRS. If you had taken it, Mitchell Marsh would have been out, but nothing like that happened, and it proved expensive. Neither Trent Boult nor Deepak Chahar got a wicket, and it seems like Deepak Chahar is not given his full quota at all. He was sidelined after just two overs in this match as well. Trent Boult couldn’t get a wicket with the new ball. Hardik Pandya came, used slower balls, and picked up a five-wicket haul. He bowls beautifully. The big side boundaries were used well,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
