Rishabh Pant's dismal start to IPL 2025 continues as fans criticise the Lucknow Super Giants skipper for failing to justify his Rs 27 crore price tag. With just 17 runs in three matches, Pant's performance has left supporters frustrated and questioning his value.

However, former India cricketer and World Cup winner Piyush Chawla, while weighing in on Pant's performance, also addressed whether his heavy price tag is adding pressure:

"Knowing Rishabh Pant, I don't think it's the price tag that's affecting him. However, he is currently not in the best of form. He has been out of the Indian white-ball circuit, and coming into this tournament as the captain of a franchise, there were high expectations of him," said Chawla on JioHotstar.

"A lot happened last year, and naturally, a lot was expected from him this season. Unfortunately, both his team's campaign and his personal form haven't started well. His dismissal today was particularly disappointing—it was a ball that could have been put away anywhere, yet he found the fielder at short fine leg. His reaction afterward, that knowing smile, suggested he is aware he's going through a rough patch where things just aren't going his way," he added.

After the loss against Punjab Kings, Pant had no option but to admit that his team was at least 25 runs short on that track and they were "not good enough" to win it on the day.

"It was not enough, we were 20-25 runs short. That is part and parcel of the game - our first home game, so still assessing the conditions. We were not good enough on the day," Pant said.

The young skipper, who was bought by Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise for a mind-blowing Rs 27 crore fee, looked dejected.

"You cannot control each and every thing, but each player is trying to take the game forward. We will learn from it and move forward," Pant said.

After the game, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was also seen in an animated discussion with Pant. It was quite similar to the first game, where he was involved in a long chat with Pant following the defeat to DC. This in turn led to fans, linking the discussion with the LSG-KL Rahul controversy, where the franchise owner had a heated altercation with KL Rahul in IPL 2024.

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