Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu has urged Rishabh Pant, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), to take responsibility for his actions and quit making excuses. In the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025), Pant has been struggling because he has not been able to make an impression with his bat. On Tuesday, April 22, the LSG captain was removed for a two-ball duck in his worst match of the season against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

The wicketkeeper batter dropped to number seven, allowing Ayush Badoni, David Miller, and Abdul Samad to pass him. After losing the game by eight wickets, Lucknow dropped to fifth place in the standings.

Rayudu on Pant

Following the game, Rayudu asked Pant to step up the order and stated that he needed to take charge of the team's decision-making.

"Pant really needs to take the control of the decisions that are being made at LSG. He needs to come up the order. He cannot give any more excuses. He is the captain and it is a captain’s sport. We all acknowledge that. Going forward, LSG need to make a few changes: maybe get Mayank Yadav in. Also Pant has to bat slightly higher. You are visibly quite tensed about the whole situation,” Rayudu said on Star Sports.

Additionally, he criticized Pant's animated conversation with LSG mentor Zaheer Khan and suggested that the franchise move these kinds of conversations indoors.

"I feel Pant really needs to take the onus on himself. He really needs to take the decisions on his own. Sometimes these visuals are not really good if you are a good team. Because you want everything to be closed doors. You want everything to be said indoors. And also you don’t want any dirty laundry to be washed outside," he added.

With just one half-century to his credit, Pant has amassed 106 runs at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 96.36 in the eight innings he has played so far this season. He has thus been unable to defend his price tag after being purchased by LSG at the mega-auction for an astounding Rs 27 Crore. When they play the Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 27, the 27-year-old will be eager to go back to his best.

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