Rishabh Pant had broken all IPL records when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had bought him for INR 27 crores in the IPL 2205 mega auction. However, it has been a nightmare with the bat for the LSG captain in the tournament.

The wicket-keeper batter has compiled only 135 runs in 12 matches so far, that too including a fifty. Pant has proved to be ineffective from a leadership perspective as well as with the bat. Pant was labeled a "okay player" who performs the worst in the T20 format after Monday's loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad solidified LSG's elimination from the IPL playoffs.

According to Simon Doull, a former cricket player for New Zealand, Pant performs best in the shortest format, hence LSG erred in selecting him as the team's captain.

“It's his worst format. They were desperate to go after him. Now he has had a poor season. You know, he doesn't... so he hasn't set huge standards, really high standards that he completely dipped to. He has just been an okay player as far as you know, T20 cricketers are concerned. He is an unbelievable Test match player. And sometimes you see the shots that he plays in Tests, you think they must be a great T20 player. But his record wouldn't suggest that," Doull told Cricbuzz.

Nicholas Pooran was in the lead to become the team's new captain before LSG was able to sign Pant in the massive auction. However, when the Indian wicket-keeper batsman arrived, the Lucknow team had a change of heart and chose to assign him as their manager.

"They were desperate for a local captain. And I kind of understand that as well. I think when sides look at an overseas captain, when you've got eight options, not all teams have eight options. You want to be able to utilize them if your player goes out of form. And having an overseas captain can sometimes be detrimental. Not that you think Nicholas Pooran would've been dropped (at any time) if he was the captain. But that is the only downside to this part," Doull further said.

LSG still has two matches to go in the IPL 2025 season, and it remains to be seen whether Rishabh Pant will end it on a high.