IPL 2025: Happy that Pant finished on a very strong note, says Zaheer Khan

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Though Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant’s 118 not out off 61 balls went in vain, mentor Zaheer Khan said he was pleased with the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter signing off from IPL 2025 on a very strong note.

Pant’s unbeaten second IPL century wasn’t enough to save Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from chasing down 228 with ease, as LSG ended their season with a defeat. Overall, Pant, the newly-appointed Test vice-captain, had an underwhelming time with the bat – amassing just 269 runs at a strike rate of 133.16.

“He has been good as a leader, that is something which was a bright positive for us throughout the season. The form with the bat definitely was something which was a learning experience for him as well to have this kind of a season.

“But the ability, calibre is something which no one has any doubt about. So, that is the way we are looking at it, so we are happy that he finished on a very strong note and that is the calibre which he has, and the impact he can have on the game,” said Zaheer after the game.

LSG finished at seventh on the points table with six wins from 14 games, including just one victory from their last six matches. Zaheer did acknowledge the positives, but admitted they never found the right bowling competition as their bowlers were struggling with injuries.

“When you start off the IPL season, your first goal is to think of the playoffs, how you are going to get there, what kind of plans you are going to have. We obviously made the conscious effort of the challenges which we are facing in the beginning of the season, which is losing a few of our main bowlers to injuries.”

“We consciously made the effort, of we are not really going to pay too much attention to that and we are still going to find a way of putting up games of cricket together and finding ways of winning the match. That is the process which everyone was aligned to and looking at that, we have had a decent season from that point of view.”

“But yes, we fell short and putting the game together was a challenge which was evident right throughout the season and those are the learnings which we have from the season. There are positives, a lot of positives, the stability was evident with regards to batting, but with regard to bowling, we were trying to figure out the combinations, and the options which can get us over the line and that is something that was the story right throughout the season,” he elaborated.

Zaheer signed off by saying LSG will work on their shortcomings in the off-season and look to put up a better show in IPL 2026. “The season is done but the journey has just begun as Lucknow Super Giants the franchise and that is what we are hopeful of. We have the building blocks in place. It’s just about sustaining those things and keep working on the things which we have to work on and would really like to come back strong for the upcoming season.”

--IANS

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