LSG captain Rishabh Pant is facing a forgettable season in the IPL. With just 151 runs at a strike rate of 107.09 from 13 matches, it shows Pant’s worst-ever performance in IPL’s history. However, despite the numbers, LSG head coach Justin Langer has backed Pant’s character and leadership within the team as well.

Speaking to the broadcaster during the game between Lucknow and Gujarat Titans, Langer said, “You always judge a person’s character by how they go through tough times. And Rishabh’s stayed consistent the whole way through. I really respect that. We all know what he’s been through over the last couple of years, but he keeps stepping up, he keeps performing, he wants to get out in the middle, and he wants to keep fighting hard for the boys. So from that point of view, he’s done a really good job. You would not know, and that’s a sign of a really strong person.”

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However, LSG put on a decent performance against table-toppers Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday as well. Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran set the foundation and helped to post a formidable total of 235, which the bowlers later defended as well. With LSG already eliminated from the playoffs race, Langer opined on that the importance of finishing the season on a positive note.

“I mean, there’s always something to play for. There are guys who haven’t had great seasons who want to showcase their talents, and as a team, we respect that we haven’t been at our best the last few games. There’s no excuse for that, but we want to show that we’ve got a very good core. We’ve got a closely-knit team. There’s no doubt about that. So it’d be nice to finish off strongly,” Justin Langer concluded.